At the Stuttgart wholesale market, classic signs of spring such as asparagus, strawberries, and early potatoes from Italy and Cyprus are currently dominating the scene. "During Holy Week, the entire range is in demand, although we no longer sell the quantities we were used to a few years ago. This is definitely due to ongoing inflation and the correspondingly high prices of many items," explains Klaus-Jürgen Braun, buyer and seller at Werner Ebert GmbH & Co. KG.
The effects of inflationary price dynamics are particularly significant in the exotic fruit and vegetable sector, with the result that sales of air-freighted goods are rather modest. Nevertheless, the specialist supplier continues to offer a wide range of exotic products, according to Braun. "At the same time, there are also items that continue to enjoy great popularity, including year-round products such as Formosa papayas and passion fruit. Air-freighted cherries from Chile are also still in high demand, but the season only lasts until the end of March, so unfortunately, we were unable to offer them at Easter this year."
Klaus-Jürgen Braun during FreshPlaza's visit to the wholesale market in 2023. Air freight charges have stabilized at a high level compared to last year, he says.
Summer lychees and new trend products
Litchis can also be offered almost all year round these days, the exotic fruit specialist continues. "The main season for produce from Madagascar and South Africa runs from November to mid-February, followed by a gap until the start of the off-season. This year, there were regular arrivals from Thailand starting in calendar week 15, followed by Mexican and Israeli fruit from early to mid-May." With sales prices around EUR 43 per 2 kg box, Thai lychees are significantly pricier than their Israeli counterparts, which is due to the long distance to the country of origin and the correspondingly higher logistics costs. In addition to lychees, mangoes from Israel will also be available after the Peruvian season ends in mid-May. Meanwhile, Israeli Orri clementines will continue to be sold.
Both unusual exotic fruits, such as lychees and regional asparagus, are currently available at Werner Ebert GmbH & Co. KG's stand sales.
One of the new bestsellers is mangosteen, which is sourced from Indonesia, Thailand, or Colombia, depending on availability. Braun: "This fruit has become very well established in recent years and is now considered a year-round product. The same applies to the snack lemon, which we were one of the first suppliers to add to our portfolio several years ago. The snack lemon, which originates from Italy and resembles a kumquat, has become an absolute hype following a TikTok trend. The sometimes overwhelming demand has led to shortages this year." The snack lemon is expected to be available for another one to two weeks.
Left: This year's Orri season is now gradually coming to an end. Right: Peruvian mangoes from Del Monte.
Seasonal change for stone fruit
In addition to its wide range of exotic fruits, the long-established Stuttgart-based company also imports and distributes a wide variety of stone fruits. The annual change of season from the Southern to the Northern Hemisphere is now imminent. "We are still selling only stone fruit from Chile, but the first apricots, nectarines, and peaches from Spain are expected to arrive in week 18. However, the heavy rainfall in recent weeks will mean that quantities will be scarce at the beginning. I therefore cannot rule out that we will offer additional overseas produce in the first few weeks of the new season, especially as early Spanish produce will sometimes be twice as expensive as overseas produce," concludes Braun.
Excerpt from the wide range: red kiwis, snack lemons, and Charentais melons.
For more information:
Klaus Jürgen Braun
Werner Ebert GmbH & Co. KG
Stuttgart Wholesale Market
Tel: +49 (0)711 48 04 51-0
Fax: +49 (0)711 48 04 51-50
[email protected]
www.werner-ebert.de