Fairtrade fruit organisation AgroFair UK has announced a successful year’s trading, recording a 50 per cent year-on-year increase for Fairtrade pineapple sales to UK supermarkets along with the introduction of Fairtrade citrus to the market.
Farmers in Morocco, South Africa and Argentina, have recently started growing oranges and easy peelers for AgroFair, and the fruit is now available under its Oké brand.
Moroccan Fairtrade oranges, clementines and nours have been sold in Asda stores nationwide since January.
Available from December to July, the Moroccan supply has helped AgroFair achieve the first year-round supply of Fairtrade oranges from one importer.
Moroccan farmers have a total of 750 hectares organised into four farms in the south west of the country. They are EurepGAP certified and use integrated pest management systems to try and keep pesticides to a minimum.
Workers are provided with clean living quarters and amenities, and own a shop where they can buy their groceries. AgroFair says it hopes the Fairtrade premium will help provide funds to build a crèche for workers’ children.
The success of AgroFair’s Faitrade pineapple has seen the numbers of producers on its Costa Rican farm increase over the last few years, and this year the organisation has taken on a second producer in Ghana to help keep up with demand.
AgroFair UK’s commercial manager Clive Marriott said: “We are delighted to welcome a second high quality pineapple producer into AgroFair’s growing family of farmers, along with the citrus growers.
“After two years all of these producer groups will become shareholders in AgroFair, in the same way as the rest of our farmers. The producers are represented on AgroFair’s board and at annual shareholders’ meetings and receive a share of all profits not reinvested in the company for expansion.”
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