With the Easter weekend approaching, Pieter de Ruiter of 4Fruit Company notes that sales are not quite meeting expectations yet. "There's no sign of an Easter rush today. At the moment, we're mainly selling good-quality Spanish medlars, particularly to Turkish and Moroccan customers. Artichokes are doing well, and we're also seeing steady sales of grapes from South Africa and Chile, as well as pomegranates from Peru. It's all moving steadily, but it's certainly not flying off the shelves."
© 4 Fruit Company
2 kg of medlars
"We're currently in the transition period from Spanish to Dutch vegetables. Normally, Spain would continue for a few more weeks, but persistent rain has cut the season short. Spain has been facing showers almost daily—not the same intensity each day, but still, every day. As soon as we had nice weather here, the opposite happened in Spain, along with all the quality issues that it brought. Quality-wise, Spanish outdoor vegetables like iceberg lettuce, cauliflower, and broccoli aren't great, but with few alternatives available, you have to make do. And even though the iceberg lettuce isn't looking its best, it still offers decent value."
© 4 Fruit Company
"The Netherlands, especially when it comes to peppers, wasn't quite ready for the abrupt end of the Spanish season. While Dutch pepper prices were sky-high at the start, they quickly dropped back to reasonable levels. With current prices at €14–16 for Dutch red peppers, €7 for green, €8.50 for yellow, and €9 for orange, they can hardly be considered expensive—and Spanish pepper prices are still even lower."
© 4 Fruit Company
"Prices for other fruiting vegetables are also not particularly high. Spanish cucumbers are selling for €2.50–3, aubergines for €3–3.50, and courgettes for €4–4.50—so there's no real abundance there either. Fortunately, the first good seedless watermelons from Spain are just around the corner, and with prices between €1.60 and €1.70, they're well-priced. The first yellow melons are also hitting the market now and are reasonably priced at around €15. Spain, of course, has had no shortage of water—reservoirs are full. That's a good thing for Spanish stone fruit exporters, too. We're already receiving the first peaches today, so nectarines and the rest of the stone fruit won't be far behind."
© 4 Fruit Company
For more information:
Pieter de Ruiter
4Fruit Company
Handelsweg 30
2988 DB Ridderkerk
+31 (0)180 641902
pr@4fc.nl
www.4fruitcompany.nl