Spanish fresh produce suppliers Frutaria has vowed to stick with its UK customers even if value is significantly reduced as sterling weakens further.
The fruit specialist has re-assured its significant UK base that it won’t be hiking prices or reducing supply as sterling falls against the euro making dealing with the UK increasingly less attractive.
Frutaria operates more than 12,000 hectares in the north, south and west of Spain to supply large UK retailers such as Waitrose, Asda and Sainsbury's as well as wholesalers Mack in Bristol, Southampton and Cardiff.
Commercial director Alfonso Rivera told freshinfo: “It is going to be tough as demand is being completely shaped by the currency. But we will still be there as we supply our clients the consignment. What we are doing is to collaborate and look deeper into a way to channel the value to overcome the conditions this year.
“At the end of the day it will reduce our value but we will stick with our UK clients. We have to be more flexible and understanding with the wholesaler, it is a push and pull business - if you get on well it works, we don’t want currency to destroy this, there is no hard and fast method. The main problem is simply losing percentage.”
Frutaria exports to more than 30 countries in the EU, eastern Europe, the Middle East and South America, sending out more than 60,000 pallets of fresh fruit per year.