According to Alena Shurupova, Import Manager of the Russian firm Ruzifruit Group, last year’s grapefruit season was generally good, as “South Africa was mostly able to supply big sizes and prices remained stable during the season, which helped to maintain the market share.” Now, however, the situation could change.
“On the one hand, due to the embargo in Turkey, the situation could become even better. The forecast of a lower crop in South Africa due to drought, with smaller sizes, and the week rouble could have a negative toll.” Therefore, the success of the season will largely depend on the strength of the Russian currency and the prices for the fruit in South Africa. “A smaller volume in South Africa and a lack of big sizes will likely lead to more expensive prices in Russia, and if the rouble doesn’t get stronger, the negative impact will be even greater.”
She affirms that the peak season for grapefruit consumption in Russia usually kicks off late in the spring, although this year there’s a possibility that it could actually start earlier. “The volume imported is likely to remain the same, but this will depend on the market conditions. When it comes to sizes, we usually prefer to buy the 28 to 35.”
In general, she affirms that grapefruit is not as popular in the Russian market as other citrus fruits, such as oranges, mandarins or lemons, although they are also imported in pretty good volumes. “With oranges, for example, the company can import 200 containers per month, while for grapefruit the figure only reaches 60 containers,” she concludes.
