With a diverse and extensive portfolio, Israeli winter lines breathe new life into the UK market as winter edges in. Agrexco, for example, has a diverse range that includes Sharonfruit, celery, strawberries and herbs, but the country's leading agricultural exporter is also a major supplier of new, salad and main crop potatoes (available as conventional and organic), while its sweet potato programmes continue to increase in importance and size. Having started this year early due to a poor US crop, the sweet potato season is already well underway with slightly larger sizes than usual and good quality crops.
Product manager Rob Cullum says: “All of Agrexco's growers achieved EurepGAP certification last year and we believe that this is the first group of sweet potato growers to achieve this in the world. Overall tonnage will be up this year as sales increase in the UK and in Europe. We are also continuing to try and close the gap with the aim of producing for 12 months a year ñ an achievement made possible with new varieties and by establishing new growing areas. On the organic front, Agrexco has already been exporting organic sweet potato for a number of years but this summer, after filling the gap left by US product, we are looking forward to continuing the season well into winter.”
There may be a growing market for sweet potatoes but potatoes of all types continue to be a winter staple for Agrexco. Yaniv Yablonka, product manager explains: “The early crop planned for Christmas has already been planted and should be available on schedule. This together with the shortage experienced in Europe, has resulted in us having large programmes in place so we can cover the huge demand from our UK customers, as well as those from abroad.”
Agrexco has also made some changes on technical issues and is working to further improve the quality on its potatoes. This year it is exporting a ësafer' product in that all of its new potato growers are accredited for EurepGAP. Improvements have been made on the pesticide list as well as some post harvest residue tests.
“Some improvements on the grading and transit station in Leeds will allow us to have better control on the quality and documentation of arrivals, and with an improved grading system, we are looking to give a better product to customers ñ accurately graded, carefully handled with an option to give them their completed orders for their specific amount of one or two sizes, instead of them handling unnecessary sizes at their site,” says Yablonka. “As expected, volumes will rise sharply on last year, due to the demand for high quality potatoes in Europe and Agrexco is looking to import between 35,000 and 40,000t to the UK and Ireland only. The total export of potatoes is estimated to be nearing 100,000t this coming winter/spring comparing to 70,000t in previous years.
“We believe that there is going to be a strong demand for Israeli crops from all sectors and we are constantly moving forward ñ improving our quality, range and technical requirements and on the service given to our customers in the UK.”
“The option to place an order for one particular size of fluffy-skin potatoes, delivered in graded boxes, the ability to cover unexpected orders, and to receive the load at the booked time, accompanied with a field record attached to the delivery note is just a part of the unique service on offer to our customers,” he concludes.
Agrexco is also offering a range of organic potatoes that will begin in January. “The forecast is for a good season as we received early programmes due to the problematic weather experienced in the UK and throughout Europe,” says Cullum. “This year we will have a few new varieties to try to meet the demand for bakers and the traditional varieties will still be grown such as Nicola, Sante, Remarka and Ditta. Again as in most of our products, we are constantly improving the technical side of the business and following on from the new import procedures last year, and in our pledge to deliver all paperwork with each delivery, we intend to focus on harvesting and grading techniques to improve quality.”
Cullum also oversees the exotic range including lines such as pitahaya, figs and pomegranate seeds. “The pomegranate seeds are a brand new experimental product for Agrexco,” he says. “Alongside a machine that de-seeds the fruit, we have developed a new variety of soft seed pomegranate. The product is available ëready to eat' in punnets, and the combination of the health benefits together with the unique taste of this special variety, could well make it a popular product. We have already seen a lot of interest from the Far East.”
Sharonfruit is another increasingly popular line for UK consumers. “The season has just started with the first supplies coming in by airfreight. It will be a very different season to last year, as the total quantities in Israel will be around 40 per cent of last season. This will put pressure on prices and restrict promotional activities that were a common theme last year. So far the fruit is looking good, and we should still see improvements over the coming weeks as volumes increase,” Cullum says.
Agrexco has recently added Jerusalem artichokes to its portfolio. “We trialled it last year with considerable success, and it is currently selling well to the catering trade. As more consumers become familiar with cooking with this versatile product, we should be able to increase volumes accordingly,” he says.
Avocados, capsicum and cherry tomatoes are also part of Agrexco's winter lines and while the forecast for capsicum and avocados is positive, cherry tomatoes are in a slightly less promising position. “Volumes for cherry tomatoes will be reduced this year as a direct result of poor returns to the growers over the last few years,” says Cullum. “The cherry tomato has now become a commodity item, whereas 10 years ago it was considered somewhat unique, it is now a commonplace item found on the majority of consumer's shopping lists. Cherry-on-the-vine however is fighting for shelf space as consumers become more aware of the quality and taste. Conchita is the main variety, but we are developing a variety that will be more robust, with sweet flesh and slightly thicker skin ñ factors that should allow it to be sea-freighted resulting in a more competitive price.”
Capsicums continue to maintain their popularity in the UK, and as a result Agrexco has increased production by 20 per cent to fulfil programmes with an estimated figure of 6,500t coming into the UK this season. Agrexco also produces organic capsicums and cherry tomatoes.
The company has enjoyed its best ever season for Galia melons, with an increase of more than 30 per cent. “The climate in Israel is perfect for growing this sweet-tasting product,” says Amos Orr, UK general manager. “There is no competition in the market for our Galia melons ñ basically no-one produces it during our season.
“Trouper is the main variety, sweet with great-tasting flesh and we are also currently developing a new variety ëUri' that promises a better seed cavity, and is smaller. Still in experimental stages, it should have a longer shelf life, and be available in sizes 5 and 6 ñ perfect for the UK market.”
Mid-November will see the first of Israel's strawberry crop, arriving by air seven days a week directly into Europe with volumes quickly building up for the pre-Christmas and the New Year period. The growers working with Agrexco produce Tamar 328 ñ a larger-sized fruit with excellent eating quality. “Our growers understand the UK market and grow according to specification,” says Orr.
Growers have also developed ëYuval', a great-tasting variety with a higher yield and less wastage due to the fact that there are fewer mis-shapes in the crop. “Volumes are up by 25 per cent from last year,” he continues. “Competition obviously exists, but our customer base is staple and improving. We are also working on two programmes on organic strawberries, breeding in Israel and overseas.”
All of Agrexco's strawberries have been grown and handled according to the Ecofresh growing protocol. IPM methods involving the use of organic biological systems are deployed to reduce the use of pesticides and chemicals in the field, and a strict cool chain system is maintained throughout ñ from field to customer.
This year will see a still further increase of fruit grown in modern closed greenhouses. The project started in 2000, and not only does it save on water, it also produces a cleaner fruit using less chemicals, bringing it to the same standard as those grown by the IPM system.
SUN RISES ON JAFFA SEASON
Israel's major citrus exporting group, Mehadrin Tnuport Export (MTEX) is now marketing its Jaffa white and Sunrise grapefruit with the first fruit now in store.
“This year Jaffa grapefruit has arrived into an extremely short market with South African fruit finishing very early. The initial demand for our early fruit has outstripped expectations and we have found it difficult to increase exports due to strikes in some of our ports and because of New Year festivals in Israel,” says UK managing director, Dov Warmen.
Jaffa grapefruit is being sold in most of the major UK retailers in both a loose and pre pack format. The early fruit is grown in the Bet Shan valley in Israel where high temperatures produce some of the earliest grapefruit in the northern hemisphere.
Warmen continues: “The fruit this year is of particularly good eating quality with lower than normal levels of acidity for this time in the season. The fruit is slightly smaller this year and we will have lower volumes of larger sized fruit.”
MTEX crop forecasts for this season are that total production of white grapefruit will be similar to last season at 30,000 tonnes, however production of red grapefruit is anticipated to be 20 per cent lower than last years 40,000t.
Warmen adds: “Although we anticipate production volumes of red grapefruit to be approximately 20 per cent down on last year, our exports to the UK will be held at similar volumes to last year.”
Imports of Jaffa grapefruit are anticipated to increase significantly from the beginning of November.
THE SEEDS OF SUCCESS
Zeraim Gedera is a seed company with a specific intention to return to ëold-fashioned flavour” in its seedless watermelon breeding programme.
The seedless watermelon market has expanded significantly in recent years and is moving away from a market strictly defined by type. In Spain for instance, the main demand was for tiger-stripe melon types, whereas US customers preferred Crimson types and Australia opted for green-rinded varieties.
Now there is a huge demand for personal-sized watermelons of varied rind patterns that weigh around 2kg.
Producers are now specifying tough-disease resistance watermelons while consumers are asking for better taste. Zeraim Gedera has addressed these concerns and has come up with commercial varieties such as Alicante and Crimson Heart that have flavour to rival old-fashioned seeded varieties and a firm, bright red interior.
MAKE A DATE WITH ISRAEL
Israel has become one of the largest producers of dates along with California, South Africa and Mexico and although the Middle East provides the optimum growing conditions required for date production, Israel is the only producer of the Medjoul.
Date palms grow well where there are high temperatures, low humidity and an abundant water supply to the roots. First deliveries of Medjoul arrived in the UK under the Red Sea brand in September.
“The new crop is exactly what one would look for in a Medjoul date,” says Agrexco's product manager Yenon Osem. “It has a set skin, a deep red colour and more importantly, the sweet, distinctive taste synonymous with the variety.”
Next to arrive are the Medjoul from the Jordan Plains, supplies of which will continue through to next summer.
Growing dates is not a quick affair. Once planted, the date palms take between seven to ten years before the fruit is ready to be harvested. The palms are hand harvested, with the dates then being stored at -18°C, ready for packing.
Osem says: “The crop is looking to be of excellent quality, and we are planning to bring in increased quantities to meet demand, we plan to pack more at source and also introduce new packaging for some of the multiples. Agrexco has also introduced Medjoul stuffed with walnuts, albeit a niche product line, but one that is gaining in popularity with consumers.”
SHARONFRUIT LOOKS EAST
After six years of negotiation, Japan's Ministry of Agriculture has approved the import to Japan of Sharonfruit.
The Israeli persimmon variety has become a best seller on foreign markets.
Zvi Alon, deputy general manager of the Ministry of Agriculture for Foreign Trade, says that the permit granted by the Japanese authorities to import the Israeli persimmon variety to Japan “is an extraordinary opportunity for Israeli growers and exporters to reach new markets. The persimmon is a very popular fruit in Japan and the prospects for successful marketing there, especially of the unique Israeli variety, are very promising”.
Alon added that Sharonfruit's cultivation and export is one of the most profitable sectors in Israel's agriculture. In 2002, Israel's export amounted to 14,000t that generated $20 million in sales revenues.
Israeli researchers have developed an exclusive technology that enables growers and exporters to determine the ripening phase of the fruit after a prescribed period in cold storage, as well applying an environmentally-friendly technology to prolong the shelf life of the fruit and its marketing period.
This provides a distinct marketing advantage to Israeli exporters, who have managed in recent years to introduce the Israeli persimmon on to markets in Western Europe, North America, and South East Asia.
ARAVA AHEAD OF ITSELF
Arava's UK marketing manager David Crossland explains why Arava's crops are either well on schedule or ahead this season. The company's main winter lines; peppers, tomatoes and herbs are all reported to be exhibiting good quality characteristics owing to substantial light levels and even temperatures.
“Israel didn't have the intense heat that some countries experienced and so far has escaped the storms that often appear in the autumn,” Crossland explains. “Growing conditions have been ideal and that has shown in the quality of produce because we're seeing good flavour and uniform ripeness.”
This year the company has increased its acreage of Ramiro-type peppers by 500 per cent and has welcomed eight new growers into its programmes. It has also expanded its operations in the Netherlands and in the UK.
“We're working towards and investing in improving the quality of our products and our service,” he continues. “In mid-September we introduced the traceability barcode on herbs and we will shortly see the introduction of a new herb carton which has been designed to improve cooling and reduce damage in transit.”
Arava has also expanded its trial programmes to build on requirements for flavour and shelf life. Its next project is to set up a system where growers' records will be available on-line. The barcode project will be rolled out to include peppers and tomatoes.
HERB GROWTH MUSHROOMS
Fresh herbs cultivation is the fastest growing sector of Israel's agriculture writes Aaron Priel. It exemplifies the trend to focus cultivation and export of special products, as part of the new logistics to penetrate niche markets with special, high quality produce: “Israel has the advantage to grow throughout the year a wide range of fresh herbs, nature's gift to the world of cuisine,” says Eitan Ben-David, general manager of the Vegetable Production Board of Israel.
Israel's year-round sunny climate and its varied topographical conditions make it an ideal country for growing fresh herbs. Some 150 farmers employ sophisticated cultivation technologies for ensuring high quality crops that are grown under environmental conditions that conform to EU and international safe-food standards. This year Israeli growers will export an all-time record of 7,000t. The major exporters of fresh herbs are Agrexco, which this year will register an export volume of 5,000t; followed by Arava Growers, with 1,500t and 500t by other exporters. Ben-David estimates that next year's export volume will be between 9,000 and 10,000t, and within four years the export will reach 15,000t.
The fresh herbs sector produces 10 per cent of the country's total vegetable production volume (for the local market and for export), which is valued at $722.2 million in 2003. The export of fresh herbs from Israel in 2003 will amount to $40m, Ben-David says. “The only problem with the development of this sector is manpower and the high cost of production. There is no shortage of water for this sector, and hence the emphasis is to introduce labour-saving equipment.”
Teams of Israeli experts have scoured the world seeking the right tools suitable for fresh herbs harvesting and post-harvest treatments. Three years ago, after the crisis in the high-tech industry, the Vegetable Board recruited engineers who were given the mandate to introduce improved methods for cultivating fresh herbs. The results were the utilisation of cultivators, harvesters and other tools that contributed to the rapid development and growth of this sector.
The main target was to develop a harvester for chives, which comprises 15 per cent of the total production of fresh herbs; it is the most sensitive fresh herb variety, and requires much labour for harvesting. A team of engineers at the Maof Company in Kibbutz Tirat Zvi is in the final stage of developing such a harvester, which in preliminary trials proved that it is capable of harvesting chives without causing any damage to the produce.
No comments yet