Suppliers and retailers gather for Fruitnet Tropicals Congress, where commercial outlook is very positive despite major challenges
Sales of tropicals including avocados, mangoes, and pineapples continue to outperform the wider fresh fruit and veg market, as consumers and retailers increasingly buy into new and more diverse produce categories to satisfy demand for fresher, healthier, and tastier products.
That was the standout message at this week’s Fruitnet Tropicals Congress, which takes place in Barcelona, Spain, today and tomorrow.
More than 150 delegates from 20 countries have gathered for this year’s meeting, which brings together producers, exporters, importers, retailers and service providers from across the world of tropical fruit.
Many of those attending and speaking at the annual event said they saw strong potential for further growth in what remains one of the fastest-moving and most rapidly changing areas of the fresh produce business.
“Tropical fruits are trending – avocados, pineapples, mangoes, dragon fruit – and becoming much more popular,” confirmed Cindy van Rijswick, global strategist for fresh produce at Rabobank. “In the US, imports have quadrupled since 2010 but prices have still increased. It’s the same for Europe, although in the last two seasons there has been some price pressure.
But the picture is good compared to the overall fruit and vegetable market, which has been very stagnant since 2011.”
Dan Bentley, buying manager for bananas and tropical fruit at Tesco, said he saw enormous potential for tropical fruit sales to maintain their upward trajectory.
“It’s a hugely exciting category,” he said. “Compared to apples, pears, berries, tropicals still have low penetration. So there is huge potential and I am very confident that we can continue to grow the category.”
Despite that confidence, many at the Fruitnet Tropicals Congress admitted there would be challenges ahead, including the continued fallout from conflict in the Middle East, as well as climate problems including a predicted El Niño event in the second half of this year.
“We know El Niño is going to happen, so we have to be reactive, productive and diversified, using different origins and varieties for example in mangoes,” said Nicolas Coste, senior sourcing manager at Dole.
Finding better ways to market tropical fruits to consumers would also need to be a priority for the business as a whole, many agreed.
“Communicating to consumers will be key,” said Juan Antonio Reyes, manager of Spanish supplier Reyes Gutierrez. “We need to decide how we get the message across to people going into stores.”
For more information about the future of the tropical fruit business, click here to read the latest edition of Eurofruit Magazine.
