Pear sales on the Service2Fruit trading platform have already slowed significantly. "We have little to no supply on the site, and I have never seen this happen so early before," says Emanuel Sluis. "We did sell more directly from the orchard this year, and sales continued reasonably well in January, February, and March, but after that, they declined rapidly. Most of the pears are now in the hands of traders."
Despite this, the trading platform's Director of Trade looks back on the year for top fruit with satisfaction. "We still managed to attract quite a few new users. After 15 years online, many growers have decided whether our platform suits them, but it remains an excellent tool for providing the sector with information. Moreover, we operate with low overhead costs, which keeps expenses down. Of course, when 10-20% less fruit is harvested, we do miss out on some volume."
"But with current pear prices of €1.30-1.40, most growers and traders are likely quite pleased. Even the 'hail pears' have fetched good prices. Traders are now hedged in and will primarily focus on fulfilling fixed retail programs until the end of the season. In the free trade sector, however, there is far less activity now," Emanuel adds.
Regarding apple sales, Emanuel notes that the quality of Elstar apples remains good. "In fact, it's the only variety with a solid volume harvested. Jonagold-like varieties are also still in demand, but there are few uniform batches of these available."
For more information:
Emanuel Sluis
Service2Fruit
De Ooyen 15A
4191 PB Geldermalsen
Tel: +31 885 321 300
[email protected]
www.service2fruit.com