Despite the pre-Christmas period, business at the local Munich wholesale market is currently rather subdued. "It's relatively quiet, which is actually unusual for this time of year. However, it must be said that the entire fourth quarter of the current fiscal year has been rather subdued compared to the previous year," says Seckin Yildirim (pictured below), stand manager at or-pa GmbH. He points to the high price level of many products: "Fruit vegetables of Spanish origin in particular, whether cucumbers, zucchini, or eggplants, are currently being traded at very high prices."
© or-pa GmbH
The seasonal focus of or-pa GmbH includes pomegranates and quinces of Turkish origin. Yildirim: "I would describe pomegranate sales as sluggish at the moment. Prices are very high, which is reflected in demand. There is currently sufficient supply in relation to the manageable demand.2
Shortages characterize the quince market
The situation is more serious for quinces, however, Yildirim continues. "During the flowering period, there were frosts in the Turkish growing regions. In practice, this means that a lot of produce is being sorted out at the source, which is why shortages are emerging and prices are being driven up. Similar to pomegranates, special varieties of quince are produced in Turkey for fresh consumption, which we cannot source one-to-one from other countries of origin, such as France or Italy. In this respect, we lack an alternative."
© or-pa GmbH
Persimmon season in its final stages
Meanwhile, the persimmon campaign is now well into its second half. "The supply of Spanish Kaki Persimmon is already decreasing, with corresponding price increases. After the turn of the year, however, we will continue with goods from long-term storage, a relatively new development that we have only been observing for a few years." In addition, or-pa GmbH offers the Rojo Brillante variety from Italy, whose campaign is also coming to an end. "Spain has long been the leader in persimmons. However, we now sell almost as many Rojo Brillante from Italy as Spanish persimmon during the season." The price structure for both origins is slightly above last year's level, he adds.
Price increase for table oranges
Citrus fruits complete the Christmas fruit selection at the wholesale market. "We primarily rely on Spain, Italy, and Egypt. Table oranges have been very expensive recently, but the peak now seems to have passed. After a few difficult years, we are now enjoying a stable supply of consistently good quality clementines," he concludes.
For more information:
Seckin Yildirim
or-pa GmbH
Wholesale Market Munich
Tel: +49 (0)89 64 96 25 80
[email protected]
www.or-pa.com
