The week following Saint Nicholas Day was particularly favorable to demand for citrus fruits, encouraged by inclement weather and significantly improved quality compared to the previous week. According to the BLE, availability was sufficient to cover needs. For clementines, Spanish offers, dominated by Clemenules and Oronules, largely prevailed. Greek unloadings, however, were sometimes affected by items too rich in seeds, which hampered sales. Italian clementines, often sold with leaves, had prices significantly higher than those of the competition. For their part, Moroccan imports have gained importance, positioning themselves as the least expensive, although their packaging has sometimes posed a problem.
For mandarins, batches from overseas have almost completely disappeared, with only a few Peruvian offers remaining available. Conversely, Italian arrivals increased slightly. The Tacle, although delicate to peel in Frankfurt, seduced with their taste, just like in Berlin, where these blood clementines (from a cross between a Tarocco orange and a clementine) were rare but very tasty. The Satsumas came mainly from Türkiye and were distinguished by generally impeccable organoleptic properties.
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Apples
The offer was based on German varieties such as Elstar, Boskoop, Jonagold and Braeburn, with a notable presence of Tenroy and Wellant. Red Delicious and Golden Delicious came from Italy, while Granny Smith and Royal Gala completed the assortment. Distributors have sometimes adjusted their requirements downward to speed up inventory rotation.
Pears
The pear trade remained without major upheavals. Italian and Turkish batches continued to dominate, supplemented by arrivals from the Netherlands and Belgium. The main national varieties were Xenia, Conference and Alexander Lucas. Price changes compared to the previous week were rare.
Table grapes
Peruvian imports largely predominated, followed by Brazil, Turkey and Namibia. The South African batches played a secondary role. Overall, trading remained relatively calm.
Oranges
Blonde oranges were mainly represented by Spanish Navelina, supplemented by Salustiana of the same origin. Navels came mainly from Italy. The first Italian Moros, in the blood orange category, appeared, although their quality was not entirely convincing.
Lemons
Spanish Primofiori dominated the market, often without competition. Enterdonato and Mayer, originating from Türkiye, were also present, while imports from South Africa, Greece and Italy had a secondary role.
Bananas
Supply was sufficient and well adapted to accommodation capacities, with demand occasionally reinforced by weather conditions. Distributors rarely changed their requirements.
Cauliflowers
French batches marked the offer, followed by Italian products. However, some Italian offerings were considered disappointing, notably in Munich, due to flowers considered too small.
Salads
The frozen salads were mainly of Spanish origin. In Berlin, a glut forced traders to lower their demands to avoid stockpiling. In Munich, a similar drop in prices was observed, making product placement easier. The colorful salads came mainly from France and Italy.
Cucumbers
Snake cucumbers were mainly imported from Spain, supplemented by Greek, Belgian and Dutch shipments. The quality of Spanish products has sometimes left something to be desired, requiring special prices to sell the goods.
Tomatoes
Round tomatoes were mainly Moroccan, but their imperfect packaging frequently led to price reductions. Prices of Spanish and Belgian tomatoes remained stable. As for vine tomatoes, Belgian, Spanish and Dutch batches dominated.
Peppers
The offer was limited to Spanish, Turkish and Moroccan products. In Hamburg and Berlin, Spanish lots saw their prices increase due to positive demand and limited supply. In Munich, however, high valuations dampened buyer interest.
Source : BLE
