Изменение климата и логистические сбои в Южной Африке снижают качество экзотических фруктов

The summer months are traditionally a quiet period for the exotic fruit trade, and this year is no different for ADW Fresh Trade. While the market for many summer fruits is in full swing, sales of a number of exotic fruits fall sharply during this period. Passion fruit is a clear example. After months of exceptionally high prices, the market is now cautiously picking up again, but according to Ive Lambert, sales traditionally remain difficult during the summer. © Dreamstime "The summer months are always quiet for exotic fruit anyway. There's a lot of other summer fruit available then, which means exotic varieties are pushed somewhat into the background," explains the importer. "Passion fruit is now starting to pick up again. It did, of course, reach very high price levels in the spring. Those prices ultimately proved difficult to sustain as supplies are increasing again. This coincides with an increase in stone and soft fruit in the spring and summer, forcing consumers to make choices. For an expensive product like passion fruit, competition then intensifies. Naturally, this quickly leads to an oversupply, and prices fall considerably." Summer is traditionally a difficult period According to Ive, the fact that exotic fruits such as passion fruit do not sell as well in the summer should come as no surprise. The pattern repeats itself almost every year. "By the end of May, sales are already starting to weaken. June, July and August are almost always disastrous in terms of sales. In September, things start to pick up again slightly, and October is usually a relatively normal month. Sales then pick up further in November, and from December onwards, the picture changes completely. Demand for exotic fruit rises sharply, particularly around the festive season." "During that period, consumers are willing to buy more unusual and often more expensive products, which means sales volumes can rise rapidly. This is true of the better-known exotic fruits, but even more so when it comes to special and slightly more expensive varieties. Around the festive season, there's a huge surge in sales. You do sell products such as granadilla and tamarillo throughout the year, but not in the quantities you achieve in December." According to Ive, carambola also exhibits a striking seasonal pattern. "You might sell one consignment a week, whereas in December, certainly during the busiest period, you sometimes sell one consignment a day. That makes a huge difference, of course." Avocado market under pressure due to limited supply As well as passion fruit, Ive currently see supply issues as the main problem in the avocado market. "That's a bit trickier at the moment. Demand is quite good. There's still sufficient availability of the larger sizes, but if you look at the good standard sizes, supplies are getting tighter. Size 16 is still okay, but for sizes 18, 20, 22 and the smaller sizes, there's a real shortage." © ADW Fresh Trade According to Ive, there are various reasons for the limited availability. "Peru had an unusual supply schedule this year, which meant that volumes were released onto the market less evenly. South Africa is also facing structural problems relating to production and quality. In recent years, South Africa has actually no longer been producing top-quality fruit like we used to see ten or fifteen years ago. You can see that the quality is deteriorating significantly." Ive specifically pointed to changing climatic conditions. "You have long periods of drought, followed by massive amounts of rain. During those dry spells, all sorts of things go wrong in other areas too. Sometimes, for example, water cannot be pumped up because there is no electricity. This causes the trees to become stressed and ultimately results in lower-quality fruit." On top of the production problems, this season also brought logistical challenges. According to Ive, there were regular delays in sea freight from South Africa. With a product like avocado, this can have a major impact on the final quality. "If you then also have problems with ships arriving late, you do end up having to deal with quite a few issues during the season." Niche exotic fruits A short while ago, Ive expressed his concerns about the potential consequences of rising costs and logistical delays for the future of niche exotic fruits. His view on this remains unchanged. "Economic conditions may increasingly have a pronounced impact on consumer behaviour. We'll have to wait and see how this plays out over the coming months, but I am rather worried about it for a number of products. You'll still sell them, but you simply notice that it's getting harder. Especially if petrol and diesel remain so expensive. People can only spend their money once, and a euro is still a euro." © ADW Fresh Trade According to Ive, the rise in fixed costs could mean that consumers become more discerning in their choices. "If, for example, a family is spending an extra 180 or 200 euros a month on fuel and heating costs, that really adds up. Then choices have to be made. More expensive, lesser-known exotic products will then bear the brunt of it." According to Ive, consumers will still buy them during the festive season, but outside that period, the threshold becomes higher. "Around Christmas and New Year, you'll probably still sell those products because people treat themselves to something extra at that time. But outside of that, the economic situation will inevitably have an impact." Choices Within the exotic fruit segment, Ive therefore expects consumers to fall back on familiar products more often. Mangoes, passion fruit and avocados are a trusted choice for many consumers and therefore have a stronger starting position. "If you compare them, a mango is actually quite a large fruit, and its price usually remains reasonably affordable all year round. A mangosteen, if you're a bit unlucky, can at times cost almost as much as a mango. Then, of course, the choice is an easy one." According to him, this price sensitivity becomes more important as purchasing power comes under increasing pressure. Products that consumers do not consider essential are therefore more likely to be skipped. For further information: ADW Fresh Trade Hoveniersstraat 13 2860 Sint-Katelijne-Waver, Belgium Tel.: +32 2 242 62 00 [email protected] www.groupadw.be/adw-fresh-trade/