The sales of grapefruit are level despite the high dollar rate, according to Cédric Geens of Jonckheere from Brussels. "The season is in balance compared to last year and the demand is normal. The supply on the market is smaller this season and the prices are high because of this." Jonckheere has Florida grapefruit in stock until the end of May.
Wet and warm
The season in Florida runs until the end of March. "The weather conditions aren't in our favour. It's wet and warm in Florida, even at night, and this is resulting in the grapefruit getting little colour. Due to all the wet weather there is also more decay than usual. All in all the climate is causing a difficult year in the area of quality."
Can't match it
Jonckheere is a specialist in Florida grapefruit and imports it directly. The rest of the year they have small volumes from Spain, Turkey and partially South Africa. Cédric doesn't expect there to be a 'real' competitor in the future in quality, provided that the product stands head and shoulders above the rest in quality. No grapefruit is like the Florida grapefruit. The Texas grapefruit is no match. Yet he indicates that growers in Florida don't have it easy. "Producers are bothered by cancer, a disease in the trees that they just can't control. The volumes decrease every year. This is still enough for the European market, but not enough for the domestic (USA) market. This makes the Texas grapefruit a viable alternative."
