The last domestic strawberries are now being replaced by greenhouse produce from neighbouring countries and goods flown in from Egypt. "In week 46, we were able to offer the last German strawberries, similar to other years. We have noticed that strawberries have become expensive relatively early this year, although there were no major gaps in supply," summarises Hinrich Eckhoff, stand manager at Fruchtgroßhandel Dehmel at the Hamburg wholesale market.
The fruit wholesaler is currently offering its customers greenhouse produce from the Netherlands and Belgium, as well as goods flown in from Egypt. "The first shipments from Egypt arrived a few days ago, which is relatively early. Normally, things don't really get going until the first week of December. However, the quantities are not yet large." On sale, the airfreighted goods are currently around EUR 3.00-3.20 per 250g, with greenhouse strawberries being pricier with around EUR 0.50-0.75/kg.
Eckhoff also emphasises that Egyptian strawberries are particularly suitable for chocolatiers at local Christmas markets and less so for retailers. "For chocolatiers, it is important that the strawberries are somewhat drier and large. These special requirements can best be met with goods of Egyptian origin." The first shipments from Egypt are expected in week 49-50, just in time for Christmas.
Insight into the Dehmel strawberry range. Clockwise: Egyptian flight strawberries, Dutch greenhouse strawberries and Belgian greenhouse strawberries from Coöperatie Hoogstraten.
Start of the lychee season
Meanwhile, the first lychees from South Africa have already arrived at Dehmel's, continues Eckhof. These are also medium-sized flown-in varieties. "Demand is still extremely modest, and the goods are being marketed at quite high prices, with packs of around 30 EUR/2 kg. It must also be said that the produce still lacks a little colour, although it is always a little pale at the start of the season."
The first lychees of South African origin arrived in week 47.
Buying behaviour characterised by uncertainty
In general, there is still no sign of any real Christmas business. "It's actually still too quiet for the time of year, and we hope that sales will pick up a little at the first Advent. Due to the uncertainty in society, many consumers prefer to hold on to their money, which in turn has an impact on the markets across all product ranges," Eckhoff observes. This was exacerbated by the weather disaster known as DANA in large parts of Spain, an important sourcing country for the fruit industry. "The quality and, above all, the shelf life of persimmons and citrus fruits may be somewhat poor here and there. Especially in the case of persimmons, the losses are likely to be slightly greater this year. Nevertheless, in my opinion, the current supply from Spain is still within the normal range," he concludes.
Stand manager Hinrich Eckhoff during FreshPlaza.de's wholesale market visit in 2022.
Photo credit: Erwin Dehmel Fruchtgroßhandel
For more information:
Hinrich Eckhoff
Erwin Dehmel Fruchtgroßhandel
Hamburg wholesale market
Tel: +49 175 288 3618
[email protected]
www.dehmel-frucht.de