The date market is currently undergoing its annual seasonal change: "We have been offering South African Medjool dates from the new harvest continuously until now and are presently waiting for the first deliveries from Israel. These are expected to arrive in weeks 38-39. To bridge the gap, we are now offering Medjool dates from Namibia for the first time, which have been of very good quality so far," reports Cevdet Cavusoglu, co-managing director of Fresh & Cash GmbH, based in Wuppertal.
Prices are currently around EUR 10/kg at the point of purchase, which is quite normal for new harvest goods. "Of course, Namibian goods are slightly more expensive compared to other origins, such as Israel. This is because goods from Namibia are not an everyday item on the local markets and are only traded in limited quantities." Towards autumn, demand for dates traditionally picks up again slightly, according to Cavusoglu, who serves a wide range of customers throughout North Rhine-Westphalia. "The main season for dates continues to run from autumn to Ramadan. From April to May, demand usually declines sharply."
© Fresh & Cash GmbH
Cevdet Cavusoglu shows Namibian jumbo dates.
Season starts for Barhi dates and Turkish pitahaya
In addition to the standard dried dates available on the market, the Wuppertal-based fruit wholesaler also offers fresh Barhi dates from Egypt. This seasonal product has been available since the end of August and will generally remain so until the beginning of November. "Compared to last year, prices have sometimes halved, which is due to the particularly bountiful harvest at the source. We have also noticed that the product is enjoying increasing popularity, which is partly due to the strong growth in Syrian stores in our sales area."
Parallel to the Barhi dates, the Turkish pitahaya season is also gradually picking up speed. "We source almost exclusively red-red pitahaya from our regular partner Luna Fresh and also offer produce from Spain. Depending on harvest volume and quality, we will be able to offer dragon fruit until December. Similar to fresh dates, we are also seeing a trend toward increasing demand here," outlines Cavusoglu.
© Fresh & Cash GmbH
Insight into the current incoming goods: Egyptian Barhi dates, Okashi melons of Spanish origin (l), and Turkish dragon fruit.
Seasonal change for melons
Meanwhile, the melon season in the Northern Hemisphere is now coming to an end. "The quantities from Spain are noticeably decreasing, and we expect the first overseas goods from Panama to arrive in two to three weeks. All in all, we can look back on a successful European melon season, which is clearly due to the hot summer. During the peak season, there were weeks when we sold a truckload of melons almost every other day," he concludes.
For more information:
Cevdet Cavusoglu
Fresh & Cash GmbH
Vohwinkler Str. 119b
42329 Wuppertal
Phone: +49 (0)174 3929313
[email protected]
www.freshandcash.de