Reporting On... - Revista F&H

NUMBER 1 • DECEMBER 2011
INTERNATIONAL
REWE
Report
onResidues
Belgian Lettuce
Replaces the
Usual Suspects
Norsemen
are Different:
The Fruit Market
Up North
Subtropical Fruits
from
Spain

SUMMARY
F&H International 1 • November 2011
2
6
10
Focal Point
BOTH RETAILERS AND
CONSUMERS DEMAND SAFER
AND SAFER PRODUCTS.
Sections
2 Editorial
3 30 days.
4 Personalities.
10 Talking Heads
11 Tendencies.
EDITA:
On...
Big players of European
fruit trade
16Reporting
have gone North.
8
Talking Heads
WILL THERE BE ENOUGH
PERUVIAN AVOCADO LEFT
OVER FOR EUROPEANS?.
Interview
ANTONIO LAVAO
(FRUNET):
ECHOES OF A CRISIS.
C/ Turquía, 1º - Edif. Adriano
Portal I - 6º D. 04009 Almería
Telf. +34 950 62 54 77
Fax +34 950 14 06 89
E-mail: info@fyh.es
www.fyh.es
14 Markets.
16 Reporting On...
20 Retail
22 Organic
23 Enterprises
26 Opinion Piece
REWE,
Sustainability,
Communication,
Awards,
and Marketing
has become one of the most popular
keywords in economics in general. And when-
‘Sustainability’
ever the topic of sustainability in the food retail
trade in particular is under discussion, more often than
not will you come across some piece of news that mentions
German retailer REWE Group. The company has
turned into a point of reference as to sustainable trade,
in particular in the fresh produce segment. Among the
many awards and recognition the chain has received in the
recent (and not so recent) past, there is the Golden Spark
(“Goldener Funke”), in the category of communication of
corporate responsibility, for the company’s sustainability
management. More precisely, what Rewe was awarded
that prize for was the excellent job the senior officers had
been doing in campaigning for climate protection and the
responsable exploitation of natural ressources, among
other matters. The retailer seems to have found a way to
convey to consumers what goals are behind its efforts
and what its ‘Pro Planet’ label stands for. That would be
a brilliant achievement, even more so if we take into
account that the concepts that must underlie any policy
that aspires to be called “sustainable” are not too clear
even to many fruit traders. Anyway, I do not dare say that
REWE is the (German) sustainability champion. What I
do know is that REWE is the champion communicator in
this field. They have clearly understood what an excellent
marketing tool the topic provides, which is good news not
only for REWE but for people and our planet, too.
Director: Rafael I. Losilla Borreguero
Coordinador: Uwe Schwießelmann
Redacción y Firmas: Francisco Flores, Daniel Lafuente, Francisco Bonilla (Fotografía).
Corresponsales: Francisco Seva - Comimaginación (Murcia), Pedro Alonso (Kenia),
Omar Sidahi Gabri (Marruecos), Natalie Traverso (Chile), René Rombouts (Holanda),
Giovanni Nicotra (Italia).
Producción y suscripciones: Trinibel Barranco. Departamento Comercial: Manuel Flores
(jefe de sección), Oscar Cañadas (ejecutivo de cuentas).
Diseño y Maquetación: Francisco Valdivia. • Imprime: Gráficas Piquer.
DEpósitO LEgaL: aL - 270 - 2000.
issN: 1886 - 6484
F&H es una revista pluralista que, respetando las opiniones
de todas las colaboraciones que se insertan en la misma,
no se hace, necesariamente, partícipe de ellas.
INTERNATIONAL

CLOSED BECAUSE
OF PHyTOSANI-
TARy SUBjECTS
To export to the south-east of
Asia or Australia is not so easy. The
French apple companies like Blue
Whale are denouncing that the great
markets like Korea, Japan or Australia
are closed in products like apple because
the phytosanitary regulations. Those markets
that are opened - China or India even have tax of
customs very high, which makes difficult that the product
was competitive against the local supply.
SENEGAL
The three new projects planned
for the melon production
in Senegal led by
Spanish, Dutch and
French companies will
not be carried out. The
main reason is the economic
difficulties that the
projects installed have suffered.
Only the Brazilian project
of Agrícola Famosa keeps the intention
to produce melons in Senegal.
PIEL DE SAPO
IN GERMANy?
A study made by the company
Rijk Zwaan among the
German consumers shows that
the melon Piel de Sapo has a good future
in the German market. The study was doing tastings
with different varieties of melon and the Mellisimo variety
(Piel de Sapo of Rijk Zwaan) was the most tasty for 78
per cent of the consumers who participated in that tasting.
A HORECA PRODUCT
The apple is one of the fruits that more presence has in the
Horeca channel of France. A study made by Interfel shows
that 12 per cent of the apples are consumed by the French
in restaurants, dining halls and groups; 27 per cent goes to
the industry in jams or juices and 61 per cent is bought by
the French in stores and supermarkets.
47 PER CENT MORE
30 days
The Fruit Attraction closed its last round with more
than 18,000 professional visitors, which means an increase
of 47 per cent respecting to the previous round.
The first and the second day were very intense, with a
great amount of professionals within the fair. The exhibiting
companies were satisfied and for the next round
it is anticipated more presence of companies of South
America.
CRISIS IN THE LETTUCE
The campaign 2010-2011 of lettuce in Spain has been
bad. Only during two weeks of February, the price surpassed
50 cents of Euro in the origin. The companies
anticipate that they will have negative balance and
most of the companies will keep the same surface of
production for the present campaign.
DOUBTS
The Dutch horticultural campaign has finished with the
worst figures of its history and, in fact, only during the
month of August the volume of the exports to Germany
decreased 15 per cent. The question is what margin
of action will have the Dutch import companies that are
also interested in the Dutch supply. In the first months
of the campaign, the Spanish exports to Holland have
decreased almost 10 per cent, although the volume of
supply in Spain has been higher.
F&H International 1 • November 2011
3

F&H International 1 • November 2011
4
Personalities
New position
Global Gap has new
director of Marketing. It
is the Argentinean Flavio
Alzueta who has an ample
experience in the commercialization
of the fruits
and vegetables. Alzueta
has developed part of its
professional work in Spain
like commercial of several
fruits and vegetables companies.
Now it will manage
all the relations with the
distribution chains so that
they know first hand the
benefits of the main plan of
certification in the world:
GlobalGap.
Future
“I have listened during
many years that the wholesalers
are going o disappear
and in my opinion they have
future and are the future”.
These were the words of
Joan Llonch of the Association
of Wholesalers of
Mercabarna during the last
Fruit Attraction. Llonch put
several examples of this
initiative explaining that his
company - Grupo Gavà- is
present in the wholesaler
markets of Poland
and Czech Republic with
“increases of sale of 10-15
per cent a year”.
Efficient promotion
To promote fresh food consumption is absolutely necessary,
even more so since much credibility has been
lost due to the EHEC crisis, says M Peter Hoffmann of
German importer Kölla. Plans like the ‘5 a Day’ scheme
can be a good point of departure but need to be made
much more efficient to get the message through to
consumers.
Sustainability can be fun
As even fruit trade experts can find it somewhat hard
to come to grips with as complex a topic as sustainability,
one has to be grateful to extraordinary communicators
who achieve, in just 45 minutes, to get
across basic ideas and virtually inspire their audience. A
lecture like the one given by Dr. Ludger Breloh (REWE
Group) at the German Conference on Fruits and Vegetables
(last October 21) should be compulsory for all
professionals.
Consumption-
Orientation
The German ‘Fresh Food
Markets’ have been pursuing
a more consumer-oriented
policy. M Reiner Ströbelt,
Head of Administration at the
Cologne Market, says that in
the future the administration
will seek to bring the operators’
profiles more into line with new
consumption tendencies, for
instance via short-term tenancy agreements.
Direct
sourcing
The person in charge of
the purchases of the Ahold
group, Ge Happe, is one
of the top defenders of
the direct work with the
chains of supermarkets.
During the third edition of
Fruit Attraction (Madrid)
he did not doubt in saying
that the wholesalers and
intermediaries must disappear
in their relation with
the chains of supermarkets.
“Therefore the chains will
be more competitive and
the costs in the stands
will decrease”, Happe explained.
Losses
The companies of the
platform of Saint Charles
International have lost 85
million Euros during the
period May-June of 2011
“as a result of the crisis of
the E. Coli”, Alain Barniol,
chairman of the wholesalers
of Saint Charles International,
explained. These
losses were as a result of
the decrease of the prices
and orders.

F&H International 1 • November 2011
5

6
Spanish peppers:
under close observation
Belgian lettuce: scores badly
GERMAN RETAIL CHAIN REWE’S
2010 REPORT ON RESIDUES IN
CONVENTIONALLy-GROWN FRUIT
AND VEGETABLES PAINTS A HOPEFUL
PICTURE OF THE FRESH PRODUCE ON
THE MARKET BUT ALSO POINTS OUT
WHAT REMAINS TO BE DONE.
By Uwe Schwießelmann
uwe@fyh.es
The report, commissioned
by Rewe and elaborated and
drawn up by the Austrian
environmental organization
GLOBAL 2000, interprets the
results of over 7,250 analyses
(of over 100 different fruits
and vegetables from 61 countries
of origin) and has been
published last August.
The enormous amount of
data gathered in the report
show that for the last few
years the general situation
regarding pesticide residues
F&H International 1 • November 2011 Focal Point
has been constantly improving
with respect to both acute
and chronic health risks.
The calculation of the former
was based on the WHO values
of the ARfD (Acute Reference
Dose): For all products
included in the report, the
percentage of samples that
exceed the ARfD has been
constantly sinking from 1.71
per cent in 2007 to 0.21 per
cent in 2010. To measure
the chronic health risks, socalled
“PRP” limits (significantly
lower than the legal
residue limits) were established:
the ADI (Acceptable
Daily Intake; mg per kilogramm
body weight) multiplied
by 13.5.
The contamination level (CL)
of a sample was indicated by
the percentage of the concentration
found in proportion
to the corresponding PRP
value; multiple residues (several
agents per sample) were
accounted for by adding the
respective percentages.
Decrease CL. Over the last
years, the average CL for
all analyzed fruits and vegetables
has decreased from
117% in 2007 to 58% in
2010. A closer look at particular
product groups shows,
for example, that the CL of
cherries, 42% in 2010, was
an amazing 740% just one
year before; the contamination
level of peaches has been
permanently going down
from 130 per cent in 2007 to
58 per cent three years later; a
similar evolution has been re-
corded for cucumbers (from
53% to 19%); apples (36%)
and tomatoes (31%), too,
have improved with regard
to their CL values of 2009, 60
and 45 per cent, respectively.
However, it’s not all beer and
skittles. For example, there
is a 2009-2010 increase in
the CL values of all citrus
subgroups, except lemons.
The same is true for pears.
Peaches may have a lower
CL than ever, but they also
are the product group with
the highest incidence when it
comes to residues that exceed
the ARfD: 1.6%, the highest
value since 2007. And even
though the product groups
without any residues above
the ARfD have gone up to 22
(of 30), 1.57% of grapefruit,
pomelos or limettas, 1.26
per cent of all lemons, and
0.7% of oranges we consume
are still considered an acute
health risk. And then there is
Belgian lettuce … (s. above).

The number of samples taken
of every product depend
on the potential health risks
it may pose to consumers. A
look at the top of the ranking
of samples per product
identifies a few of the notorious
problem childs: peppers,
grapes, tomatoes, lettuce,
and strawberries. Especially
the figures for lettuce deserve
a closer look.
Lettuce. Lettuce (‘butterheads’,
i.e. leaving out Iceberg
lettuce, rucola, Romaine
lettuce, etc.) turned out to be
the most problematic of all
product groups included in
the report. In particular, lettuce
from Belgium is one of
no more than two vegetables
(besides Greek rucola) where
the authors of the report go
as far as to explicitely recommend
to look for alternative
origins.
In 2010, Rewe commissioned
analyses of 491 lettuce samples,
the big majority of these
from Germany (285). Two
(Belgian) samples exceeded
ARfD values, 133 contained
residues in concentrations
that added up to aggregate
PRP values of at least 200%;
of these, in 89 cases individual
residues exceeded (by at
least 100%) the corresponding
PRP value.
The average CL was 226%;
the highest CL value, found
in Belgian lettuce, was
4621%. Not a single sample
from Belgium was among the
63 (13%) found to contain
no residues at all. Instead,
all Belgian lettuce samples
contained residues of at least
two different agents, and in
75% of all samples from that
origin, the number of active
substances was between five
and twelve; the average CL
amounted to 497%. (German
lettuce, compared to
Belgian exports, performed
clearly better: an average CL
of 59 per cent; no residues
above ARfD values; 21% of
samples were residue-free;
only 20% of samples contained
more than four active
substances.)
The report points out that,
for all origins, there is an important
difference between
the summer season (fewer
residues and nonconformities)
and winter, when the
conditions are equally adverse
to lettuce growing all
over Europe which is why the
origin cannot really account
for the big differences between
countries. Apart from
recommending to substitute
Belgium for other origins,
the report points out that frequent
sampling and screening
of lettuce from all origins,
especially in winter, must be
given top priority.
Acute vs. chronic health risks.
Of course, any fruit or vegetable
that contains a residue
higher than the ARfD and
therefore poses an immediate
risk to consumers, is
unacceptable, and growers,
traders, and retailers have
to look for ways to identify
and eliminate these products
from the shelves.
That is why several product
groups (peaches, citrus,
grapes, tomatoes, lettuce,
etc.) have to be kept under
close observation. At the
same time, professionals
must not forget the chronic
health risks inherent in fruits
and vegetables that do not
stand out for deviations from
ARfD values or the accepted
contamination levels. To
get a realistic picture of the
contribution of every single
product to the total amount
contamination level all
fruit and vegetables
(average % of
aggregate PRP)
ARfD incompliances (%)
Acute health risk (all
fruit and vegetables;
2007 = 100)
Chronic (consumptionrelated)
health risk (all
fruit and vegetables;
2007 = 100)
Focal Point
Health Safety on the Rise
of residues the average consumer
ingests, the average
consumption quantities 1 per
product have to be taken into
account. This is how we can
see that in 2010 (at least for
consumers who shop their
groceries at Rewe’s) the first
source of ingested residues
really was potatoes, followed
by apples (both 0 ARfD incompliances),
oranges, and
tomatoes. This fact has to be
taken into account when priorities
are set.
(1) The consumption quantities used
include processed food products, that
is to say the fresh produce equivalent,
which in some cases may account for a
high proportion of the total (potatoes,
tomatoes).
2007 2008 2009 2010
117 89 89 58
1.71 1.04 0.58 0,21
100 60 34 12
100 79 71 58
Source: Rewe Group Köln.
F&H International 1 • November 2011
7

8
Antonio Lavao | Frunet manager
“The civil service turned
its back on us, but not
the customers”
LAVAO CRITICIzES THE LACK OF AID FROM THE SPANISH
ASSOCIATIONS; NEVERTHELESS, HE EMPHASIzES THE
CONFIDENCE OF THE CUSTOMERS.
By Daniel Lafuente
and Manuel Flores
F&H: Several months passed
since the outbreak of E-Coli.
Which is the present situation
of your company?
A.L: “At the moment we are happy,
after what happened the confidence
of the customers have
come back which is the most important,
and we are selling normally.
The truth is that the whole
team went through bad times
and now we are more motivated
than before”.
F&H: “Frunet is an international
reference in the production
and commercialization of
organic products. Which was
your first reaction in view of
the denunciation of the German
Government when the
bacterium was found in one of
the cucumber shipments?
A.L: “At the beginning we did
not believe it; we thought that
this could not be happening. We
felt helplessness and frustration
because we were accused without
any proof. In fact, we were called
assassins and nobody thought
about if it was certain or not,
everything was very unfair, very
excessive and unprofessional on
the part of the authorities and
the German press”.
Protocols
F&h: Do you think that the protocols
of action of the German
Government were the rightest?
A.L: “No, not at all. The German
myth of the efficiency and seriousness
was absent. They have
F&H International 1 • November 2011 Interview
managed the crisis very bad as
much for us as for its own citizens,
they were “groping in the
dark”, and blaming on the Spanish
producers when there was
still people becoming ill because
of the true origin of the bacterium,
which they did not manage
to find it. There was many
disinformation and discoordination
of the different German administrations.
Really, it is a clear
example of how not to manage
the crisis”.
F&H: Was your company the
scapegoat of the crisis?
A.L: “Without a doubt. After
some weeks with the problem
and the important pressure of
the German press, they needed
to focus the attention on other
side so then they blamed on the
“poor little Spanish”, because
they cannot defend themselves.
In addition, if they were in the
rush and mistaken, there is no
problem because they lead…”
F&H: Would the reaction of the
German Government be the
same if the origin of the outbreak
was in products of another
country?
A.L: “The origin never was in
products of outside the zone of
Hamburg. It is obvious for all
that the origin was there. However,
if they had accused to the
French products, for example, in
my opinion we think that they
had not done it unless they were
totally sure of it”.
F&H: And if the outbreak came
from a German product?
A.L: “Of course the outbreak is
in a product coming from Ger-
many, is there any doubt?”.
F&H: Frunet was not the unique
company accused. Were right
the steps taken by the other
company?
A.L: “It was a moment of much
tension and each one does what
he thinks he has to do in that
moment.
F&H: Did you feel protected
and supported by the Spanish
Agrarian Associations?
A.L: “At no moment. This crisis
has shown that this sector is
not united and that the different
groups walk in different ways.
Everything is politicized, this is
the way everything work”.
F&H: And did you feel protected
by the public Institutions?
A.L: “The Government of Spain
did not live up to the expectations,
and I think that many people
that suffered this crisis think
the same like me”.

Interview
“We had been
for many years
in this business
and those people
that know us know
that we do the
things well.”
“This crisis has
shown that
this sector is not
united and that the
different groups
walk in different
ways.”
“The German
Government
blamed on the
“poor little Spanish”,
because
they cannot defend
themselves.”
F&H International 1 • November 2011
9

10
THE USA THE FRUIT HAS APPROVED
THE INTRODUCTION OF AVOCADO
COMING FROM PERU IN ITS BORDERS
THUS THIS FRUIT CAN BE ExPORTED
WITHOUT PREVIOUS TREATMENT
OF qUARANTINE. THIS REALITy
HAS CAUSED THAT THE SPANISH
COMMERCIAL COMPANIES DISTRUST
BECAUSE THEy DO NOT KNOW
FOR SURE HOW IT IS GOING TO
DAMAGE THE BUSINESS OF THIS
SUBTROPICAL FRUIT IN EUROPE.
Enrique
Colilles
Manager of
Trops
“I understand that it is a very
important achievement
for the producing Peruvian
companies of avocado
the fact of being able to
be introduced in as strict
market as the North
American is. However, in
my opinion is not going
to damage the export of
this avocado to the market
of the EU reason why its
volume is not going to
decrease. In addition, the
productions of avocado of
Peru are going to increase
this campaign”.
Mohamed
Oulkadi
Manager of
Maisara Fruits
“In my opinion, the export
of avocado coming from
Peru to the North American
market is going to cause a
decrease of the sendings of
this subtropical fruit to the
Old World. And it is that,
the price of this product is
good in the USA, and also
the saving of money in the
transport is very important
because it is not the same
to send product from Peru
to the USA than to Europe”.
F&H International 1 • November 2011 Talking Heads
Repercussions
in the EU of the
introduction of
Peruvian avocado
in the USA
Antonio
Sánchez
Manager of
Frutas El
Romeral
“In my opinion the avocado
that Peru is going to export
to the market of the USA is
going to cause a decrease
of the product coming from
this country to Europe.
This reality does not have
to be a decrease of this
subtropical fruit to the
European market, since
other producing countries
of the South Hemisphere
can take advantage of these
niches of the market to send
their fruits”.
Juan Antonio
Reyes
Manager of
Reyes Gutiérrez
“The production of avocado
of Peru is around 160,000
tons, of which 40 per cent is
the Hass variety. Nearly 100
per cent is exported, being
Europe (85 per cent) and the
USA (15 per cent) their main
destinations. Respecting to
the crop surface is nearly
20,000 hectares, of which
42 per cent is Hass variety
and it anticipates that aim
a growth of 1.000 hectares.
In this situation, the
introduction of the Peruvian
producers is going to be
positive and the flow of
the volume to Europe will
be regulated. In addition,
the prices will be more and
more stable, avoiding ups
and downs”.

aLMERia: 14 pER CENt LEss
The last horticultural
campaign of Almería finished
with negative results
of the value, with a
fall of 14% respecting to
the previous campaign,
although with an increase
of 4% of the commercialization.
Throughout the period
2010/2011 2.2 million
tons of fruits and vegetables
with a value in origin
of 1,111 million Euros
were commercialized.
The value of all the products
decreased except the
pepper that increased
9%, continuing the creasing
tendency of the last
campaign.
The value of the courgette
was the worst of the vegetables
decreasing 40%,
whereas the cucumber
also decreased 8% but
its production increased
8%.
The prices of the aubergine
decreased 14% with
a production similar to
the last campaign. The
production of the tomato
also increased 6% and
the value decreased 17
per cent.
The spring campaign was
not better and the value
of the melon decreased
16 per cent but also the
production decreased 10
per cent.
The watermelon had better
behavior increasing
its value 59 per cent, although
the production
increased 11 per cent. The
bean also had good behavior.
ISRAEL wiLL REaCh
2,500 hECtaREs OF pEppER
Israel will have during
the present campaign
2,500 hectares of pepper,
which means an increase
of 200 hectares respecting
to the last campaign.
This increase is caused
mainly by the change of
the crops of tomato into
pepper crops and, also
the new plantations in
the Valley of Arava.
The producers of Israel
think that the possibilities
of the pepper are
better than the tomato
because of the hard competition
between Spain
and Morocco to export
to the European market.
The production of Israel
during the last campaign
was 175,000 tons, standing
out the red sweet pepper,
of which 50,000 tons
were exported to the EU.
The tendency for the
present campaign is that
the shipments of pepper
from Israel to Europe are
increased through the
German way.
During the campaign
2008-2009 the surface
increased 15 per cent but
the possibilities of new
growth are determined
by the lack of surface and
water for the development
of the crop of pepper,
reason why some analysts
consider that Israel
is near its limits of surface
of this product.
Tendencies
MURCia:
BaD
SITUATION
FOR THE
SwEET
PEPPER
The sweet pepper of spring
is not working well in Spain.
The production of Murcia
and Alicante has been decreasing
for two years. The
causes have been the low
prices and the little margin
of maneuver.
Murcia and Alicante are looking
for a place between the
end of the campaign of Almería
(Spain) and the beginning
of Westland (Holland),
but in the both last years
the campaign of Almería
has been longer thanks to
the biological control and
Holland has started its
campaign of sweet pepper
earlier thanks to the technological
development.
The surface of pepper
during the last campaign
reached 1,700 hectares, of
which 1,000 hectares were
of elongated pepper and the
rest were of sweet pepper.
The prices of the campaign
2011 were below 60 cents of
Euro for sweet pepper and 15
per cent more for the elongated
pepper, which “is causing
that some producers of pepper
came back to the Spanish
market”, Angel García of
Soltir, affirms.
Although it is still soon to
anticipate the production
of 2012, some seeds companies
interested in the sweet
pepper sector of spring in
Murcia-Alicante anticipate
a decrease 10-15 per cent of
the surface, which means a
total surface of around 600
hectares into the hands of
the Surinver, Gregal, San
Cayetano and Hortamira
companies.
F&H International 1 • November 2011
11

12
Mexico
produces
avocado
for the
export
Mexico will reach this year
a production of 1.25 million
tons of avocado which is 12
per cent more of production
respecting to the previous
campaign.
The development of Mexico in
avocado has been incredible
from 94,000 hectares in 2000
to 123,000 hectares in 2010.
This development of the avocado
has forced the Mexican
companies to work with the
export and this year the exports
will reach 330,000 tons
and 75 per cent are sent to the
United States.
The Mexican companies need
the international market and
besides the United States,
Chile is becoming an alternative
market, where work 12 per
cent of the international trade.
The levels in Europe are not
high yet although Holland
and Spain have already begun
to be important in the exports
of avocado of Mexico with seven
per cent and five per cent
respectively.
After the campaign 2011-2012
the surface of avocado of Mexico
will increase 10 per cent
reaching 138,000 hectares and
also its commercial actions to
improve the exports.
F&H International 1 • November 2011 Tendencies
RUssia is REaDy tO
iNCREasE its FRUits
aND VEgEtaBLEs
pRODUCtiON
RUSSIA IMPORTED MORE THAN 5.4 MILLION TONS OF
FRUITS AND VEGETABLES IN 2010. THE PUTIN GOV-
ERNMENT WANTS TO PROMOTE THE LOCAL PRO-
DUCTION IN GREENHOUSES IN THE SOUTH OF THE
COUNTRy.
Russia is one of the great
world-wide importers
of fruits and vegetables
and is gaining interest
among the producers of
the Mediterranean zone
and the South Hemisphere.
5.4 million tons
imported by Russia
made of it an interesting
destination but with a
high economic cost.
It is for this reason that
the Russian Government
of Dimitri Medveded
is promoting the
development of the agriculture
in the South
zone to the extend of
“the production of fruits
and vegetables in 2014
will increased 23 per
cent in Russia”, according
to a report of the
Fruit-Inform consultant.
The extend of the surface
of greenhouses is
a reality in Russia and
also potatoes, carrots,
pears, plums, cherries
and apricots are the
crops of greater increase
in the next years.
Figures. The production
of vegetables in 2010
was more than 12 million
tons which meant a
decrease of nine per cent
respecting to 2009.
The data that Fruit-Inform
speak about a potential
growth of 16 per
cent in 2014 until surpassing
14 million tons.
The fruits will increase
even until 40 per cent
in products like stone
fruits and apples.
Import. While this moment
is coming, Russia
imports 5.4 million
tons of fresh fruits and
vegetables with a value
of 4,571 million dollars,
being Turkey the main
supplier reaching 16 per
cent of fruits and 23 per
cent of vegetables.
Turkey is important in
citruses -400,000 tons,
tomatoes -348,000 tons
or grapes -172,000 tons.
Besides Turkey, China
leads the market of
fruits and vegetables in
the Eastern zone, standing
out 183,000 tons of
apples or 135,000 tons
of onions, and contributes
to five per cent of
the imported fruits and
11 per cent of the vegetables.
These two countries
plus Ecuador – nearly
one million tons are the
three great suppliers to
Russia. Other suppliers
are starting strongly
to fulfill the needs of
the Russian market and
with competitive prices.
65,000 tons of grapes or
63,000 tons of melons is
the case of Uzbekistan
becoming the first supplier
of this product in
Russia. The same happens
with Kazakistán.

Tendencies
CUstaRD appLE “MaDE iN spaiN”
THE PROVINCES OF GRANADA AND
MáLAGA HAVE THE UNIqUE PRODUC-
TION OF CUSTARD APPLE IN EUROPE. AT
PRESENT, THE SUPPLy OF CUSTARD AP-
PLE, DEPENDING ON THE WEATHER CON-
DITIONS, IS AROUND 40,000 - 50,000
TONS.
By Daniel Lafuente
Torregrosa
revista@fyh.es
The Tropical coast of Granada-Málaga
is the unique
Spanish and European producing
zone and the one of
highest world-wide production
of this tropical fruit.
The campaign of custard apple
in the Tropical Coast is
between the months of September
and April with an
annual production between
40,000 and 50,000 tons of
this product. Concretely, in
2010 the supply was 38.300
tons, of which 35,000 tons
comes from the zone of Granada
and 3,300 tons from the
province of Málaga.
Surface. In the campaign of
2010 the Tropical Coast had
a surface of 3,211 hectares
of this crop. If it is compared
with the average of the years
2006-09, the surface has
grown slightly, since it was
2.900 hectares.
The custard apple is a product
of Spanish consumption.
Not in vain a high percentage
of the production is handled
by the wholesalers of
the Mercas (Mercamadrid
and Mercabarna are the most
important) and the rest is relocated
between chains, in-
dependent operators and the
export which was more than
1,000 tons in the campaign
2009-2010.
Mercas. Because of their geographic
situation for the distribution
and commercialization
of fruits and mainly
their volume of supply, Mercamadrid
and Mercabarna
are the reference places in
the wholesale business of the
custard apples. However, the
evolution of the sales is not
developing at the same rate.
Concretely, the campaign of
2008 will be remembered
with optimism by the operators
of Mercamadrid, since
more than 8,000 tons of custard
apple were commercialized
with an average price
in the market of 2.34 Euros/
kilo. This volume of supply
is the highest of the last five
years, although the highest
average price was in the year
2009 with 2,62 Euros/kilo,
nevertheless, only 5,578 tons
were sold.
With respect to Mercabarna,
the year 2007 was the best
one of the last five years because
they commercialized
almost 2,500 tons of this
fruit with an average price of
1,93 Euros/kilo.
This recession is sensible with
respect to the three last years,
since the supply and the price
decreased gradually. Example:
in 2010 they commercialized
1,925 tons of custard
apple with an average price of
1.43 Euros/kilo.
International. Normally, the
custard apple is commercialized
mainly in Spain with a
very high consumption.
From the guaranty of origin
the custard apple is being
promoted to increase the
consumption and even to
know the reality of a product
unknown by big part of the
consumers of fruits and vegetables
in Europe and Spain.
Speaking about the international
markets between 10
and 20 per cent of the production
is exported to the
EvoluTIon of ThE cusTArD
ApplE TrADE In MErcAMA-
DrID.
(In tons). Source: Mercamadrid.
6,093
7,108
8,087
5,578
5,173
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
EvoluTIon of ThE cusTArD
ApplE TrADE In MErcAbArnA.
(In tons). Source: Mercabarna.
1,989
2,454
2,296
1,830
1,925
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
European Union, mainly to
Germany and the United
Kingdom. These two destinations
are the main points of
interest. From the guaranty
of origin are trying to introduce
in new markets with
commercial agreements to
promote this product in Germany
and the United Kingdom.
“The project is looking
for improving the knowledge
and the satisfaction of the
demand that the European
consumer is already doing,
mainly in the United Kingdom
and Germany, where
the consumption is reasonable
like to invest this
amount in promotion”, Antonio
Sanchez, chairman of
the guaranty of origin of the
custard apple of Costa Tropical
Granada-Málaga.
EvoluTIon of ThE AvErAgE
prIcE of ThE cusTArD ApplE
In MErcAMADrID.
(euros/kilo). Source: Mercamadrid.
1,88
2,00
2,34
2,62
2,20
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
EvoluTIon of ThE AvErAgE
prIcE of ThE cusTArD ApplE
In MErcAbArnA.
(euros/kilo). Source: Mercabarna.
1,60
1,93
1,63
1,52
1,43
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
F&H International 1 • November 2011
13

14
The keys of the pear
consumption in Spain
THE PEAR CONSUMPTION IN SPAIN HAS
DECREASED UNTIL 7.1 KILOGRAMS PER
CAPITA, ALTHOUGH THE COMMERCIAL
VOLUME INCREASED UNTIL 328,296
TONS.
By Daniel Lafuente
Torregrosa
revista@fyh.es
The Spanish citizens consumed
per capita in 2010
an average of 7.1 kilograms
of pears, which means a decrease
of 300 grams and 400
grams respecting to the years
2009 and 2008. Of the total
of this fruit consumed in
Spain, 92.2 per cent is consumed
at home, whereas the
hotel industry and catering
had a consumption of 2.2 per
cent. On the other hand, 5.5
per cent is the institutional
consumption.
Others
1,0%
Self-consumption
4,0%
Street markets
5,0%
Discounts
6,0%
Hypermarkets
7,0%
Local markets
7,0%
Travelling
markets
12,0%
Traditional store
30,0%
F&H International 1 • November 2011 Markets
By regions, the Castilla-León,
Cataluña and Asturias are
the Spanish zones of most
consumption of pear, whereas,
on the opposite Murcia,
Canary Islands and Andalusia
are the zones of less consumption
of this fruit.
Zones. The main pear consumptions
are in the great
metropolitan areas, followed
so close by the rural zones,
whereas the towns between
2,000 and 10,000 inhabitants
are the places of less
consumption of pear. The
families without children
and singles are consume more
quantity of this fruit and it
Supermarket
28,0%
plAcEs of ThE
purchAsE of pEArs
In spAIn
(In %). Souce: MARM.
Prepared by F&H.
decreases with the increase
of the size of the family.
Women who do not work,
as well as the older than 65
years are the people that include
pear in their shopping
basket, whereas the consumption
is less among the
younger than 35 years old.
Supply. Like the rest of products
of the fruit range, the traditional
stores are the owners
of the pear supply. The
specialists and wholesalers
manage this product because
of this delicate product and
makes easier a 30 per cent of
the share of market among
the traditional stores.
And it is that one of the characteristics
of the Spanish
consumer is the acquisition
of fruits in specialized stores,
followed by the supermarkets
with a share of 28 per
cent thanks to their policy of
promotions and price.
EvoluTIon of ThE
consuMpTIon of
pEAr In spAIn
(Kilos/per cápita)
Source: MARM.
6,96
6,65
The rest is divided and the
traveling markets control
12 per cent, followed by the
hypermarkets and the street
markets, both with seven per
cent. The share of market of
the discount stores is six per
cent.
Import. Spain is one of the
great producers of this product,
reason why the import
is limited. Concretely, 17,260
tons arrived into the Spanish
borders for a business of 16.4
million Euros in 2009.
The pears coming from Belgium
are becoming important,
since the shipments sent
by this country are an important
part of the import of this
fruit to Spain.
Spain supplies its market
with a production of more
than 450,000 tons in the year
2011 of which approximately
125,000 tons are sent to the
international market.
7,48
7,40
7,16
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

France surpasses 2 kilos
of avocado a year
THE FRENCH CONSUMERS CONSUME 2.2
KILOS OF AVOCADO PER CAPITA A yEAR.
THIS FIGURE HAS BEEN CONSTANT DUR-
ING THE LAST THREE yEARS. SPAIN IS ITS
MAIN SUPPLIER WITH NEARLy 24,000
TONS.
By Daniel Lafuente
Torregrosa
revista@fyh.es
France is not a producing
country of avocado, nevertheless,
it is not an obstacle
to be one of the fruits preferred
by the French consumers
with an average of 2.2 kilos
a year. In fact, the French
operators are the greatest
importers of avocado of the
Old World with volumes of
around 95,000 tons annually
only surpassed by the imports
of the great companies
of the United States.
In 2009, the value of the operations
of import was 224
million dollars, which means
15.19 per cent of the worldwide
imports, where big part
of the avocados consumed in
France comes from Spain, Israel,
South Africa (Kenya) or
the countries of South America
(Peru, Chile, Mexico, Paraguay
and Argentina, among
others).
The central market of Rungis
is one of the main doors to receive
this subtropical product
to be supplied later, mainly,
to Paris and surroundings,
not in vain in 2009 the sales
of avocados reached 11,500
tons, being Hass the dominant
variety. However, they
are not the best figures of the
last five years since in 2007
the total of the avocados
commercialized in Rungis
reached 15,750 tons, 27 per
cent more than in 2009.
Consumption. There are habits
of consumption of avocados
that do not change in
France. Christmas and spring
rEprEsEnTATIon of ThE IMporTs of
AvocADo To frAncIA 2010.
Dominican
Republic
1,1%
México
4,6%
Israel
6,5%
Chile
6,8%
Others
7,6%
South Africa
7,6% Kenya
8,2%
are the periods of greater
consumption, although at
the present time the French
consumers consume avocados
during 12 months.
The tendency of the consumption
is to increase from the
middle of the decade of 2000
and in 2010 it was already 2.2
kilos per capita with an average
price of market of 2.7 Euros/kilo.
This figure of consumption
has kept constant
during the campaign but not
the price in the market which
was 2,9 Euros/kilo.
The cost of avocado per family
has kept stable for years,
being approximately six Euros
which shows that the avocado
has succeeded among
the French families.
Although the kind of custom-
Spain
25,0%
Italy
8,7%
Holland
10,1%
Peru
13,8%
Source: Eurostat.
Markets
ers who buy avocado sometimes
changes, the purchases
of this fruit in volume were
good during the last campaign.
In fact, in the end, the
balance of the sales of avocado
was successful in most
of the stores.
Distribution. Nearly three
quarter parts of the sales of
these fruit are done in the
retailers (72 per cent of the
volume for the supermarkets,
supermarkets, small supermarkets
and discounts).
In 2009, the sales in retailers
increased slightly respecting
to the average of the years
2006-2008 (72 per cent opposite
to the previous 71.4
per cent), due to the good
results of the supermarkets
and the discounts that compensated
the loss of speed of
the small supermarkets and
supermarkets.
The share of sales of avocados
of the discounts increased to
12.7 per cent in 2009 opposite
to 11.4 per cent in the period
2006-2008.
The import. In 2010 the
imports of avocado of the
French operators surpassed
the threshold of 93,000 tons.
Indeed, the imported volumes
were 93,190 tons, which
meant an increase of 11.3 per
cent respecting 2009, but a
decrease of 9.4 per cent if it is
compared with the average of
the years 2007-2008.
F&H International 1 • November 2011
15

16
NORDIC MARKETS
THE FRUIT TRADE IN THE
NORDIC COUNTRIES IS
SUBjECT TO THE PARTICU-
LAR FEATURES OF THESE
COUNTRIES: FROM CLI-
MATIC CONDITIONS AND
THE LOCAL HORTICUL-
TURE TO THE CHARAC-
TERISTICS OF CONSUMP-
TION PATTERNS.
By Uwe Schwießelmann
uwe@fyh.es
Domestic Horticulture and
Imports. The Scandinavian
climate naturally restricts the
number of outdoor crops and
makes greenhouse growing
very cost-intensive. Due to
the low temperatures, many
products have to be cultivated
in glasshouses (e.g. in
Sweden, greenhouse crops
account for half the value of
horticultural production):
100 per cent of tomatoes,
close to 80 per cent of cucumbers,
and an increasing
proportion of berries. But
taking into account the elevated
costs of heating, it is
logical that to compete with
often extremly cheap im-
The Peculiar
Case of Finland
Though, with little more
than 5 m inhabitants,
Finland is not exactly a
point of reference for the
international fruit or food
retail trade, it certainly
presents a curious picture
inasmuch as internationalization
– or rather the
lack of it – is concerned.
At the same time, the
degree of concentration
is even higher than in
other Nordic countries.
Sales of the S Group,
ports is very complicated. As
far as outdoors horticulture
is concerned, volumes of lettuce
(especially iceberg), carrots,
and onions are worth
mentioning, though in Sweden,
for example, strawberries
represent the highest
value (about 27 me) of all
outdoors crops. Apart from
berries, apples and pears,
above all in Sweden, outdoors
fruit production is not
really important. So, the Nordic
countries heavily depend
on imports of fresh fruits and
vegetables: their market share
is about 95 and 60 per cent,
respectively. For many years,
the Netherlands, followed
F&H International 1 • November 2011 Reporting On...
Things to know about the
Nordic
Markets
owned by regional and
local Finish companies,
represent an amazing
44,1 per cent of the domestic
food market. Its
biggest competitor, Finish
Kesko Corporation,
which, apart from all
Nordic countries except
Denmark, operates in the
Baltic States, Russia, and
Belarus, runs over 1,000
K-food stores in Finland
which account for 35
per cent of the market.
9 per cent correspond to
Suomen Lähikauppa Oy
(formerly Tradeca Ltd.);
Lidl accounts for about
4,8 per cent.
by Spain and Germany, have
been the most important suppliers
to the Nordic markets.
Only in the case of Denmark,
imports from Spain are exceeded
by shipments from
Germany. The leadership of
the Netherlands reflects, in
the first place, the country’s
role as central trans-shipment
place and re-exporter. In the
case of Germany, apart from
bordering Denmark, we have
to take into account, that
Lidl and Edeka, for example,
are supplied by these multinationals’
Germany-based
fresh-produce distribution
centres.
The Nordic Consumers. The
Nordic markets have always
stood out for consumers’
high purchasing power as
compared to the European
average: up to 160 per cent
in the case of Norwegians
(food prices are 43 per cent
above European average).
Other characteristics include
a marked environmental
awareness; the importance of
healthy, safe and functional
food products; the prominent
role of organic food in
these countries; the high degree
of consumers’ consciousness
concerning the ethical
aspects of the sustainability
concept (fair trade products);
the orientation towards highquality,
added-value products;
and an inclination of
consumers to favour regional
produce. All this may still be
true, to a certain degree, but
there can be no doubt that
the picture has been modifying
over the last few years.
“The decrease in the tomatoes
growing area in Sweden
is due to the availability of
much cheaper imports which
is why there is no market for
Swedish tomatoes. So much
for the topic of consumers’
preference for regional products...”
M Peter Horvath, Purchasing
Manager Fruit and
Vegetables at Saba Frukt &
Grönt.
The Importance of the Discount
Concept.
The most significant change
in the consumption patterns
is an increase in the importance
of price. The expansion
of big discount retail chains
on these markets, has clearly
had a series of repercussions.
On the one hand, it accelerated
the process of concentration
of the food trade and
intensified the concentration
on prices to the detriment
of quality-orientation,
on the other hand, it forced
retail chains to establish or
reinforce their own discount
concepts. So, Swedish ICA
and Dansk Supermarked
combined forces in a joint
venture to operate Netto discount
stores in Sweden (over
100) and Norway; in addition,
Dansk Supermarked
operates more than 400 Netto
stores in Denmark. With
164 stores, ‘Willys’ (Axfood)
is Sweden’s leading discount
chain. Aldi, the German discount
legend, runs 230 stores
in Denmark.

M Peter Horvath, here in Saba’s Helsingborg Warehouse,
is the Purchasing Manager at Saba Frukt & Grönt.
“The key to Saba’s success is that we offer logistics
solutions to the supermarkets, apart from the
normal buying and selling business. Our platform
can do the planning for a chain that wants us to
do so. Besides, we supply all sorts of information,
education and training, knowhow, etc. to the supermarkets.
Our Category Management coaching
is among the best to be found on the market.”
“Lidl’s entry into the Scandinavian market has
had a certain impact and at the beginning there
was some preoccupation. All chains prepared to
react to possible changes to occur in the market.
Now that Lidl has established as one of the players
of Swedish retail, the impact has not been that
important at all. Even though the quality of Lidl’s
fruit and vegetables is excellent, it is not really
that cheap.”
“Nowadays, fresh produce retailers have to find
their own distinctive strategies that differentiate
them from their competitors: For example, ICA
Maxi hypermarkets aspires to be the one with the
widest and completest fresh produce assortment;
Axfood’s soft discount chain Willys wants to be
the most inexpensive chain; and Coop Konsum
supermarkets have carved a niche for themselves
as environmentally aware retailers with a wider
assortment of organic products.”
M Peter Horvath,
Purchasing Manager Fruit and
Vegetables at Saba Frukt & Grönt.
“What has definitely changed is the markets traditional
orientation towards high-quality, valueadded
products. These products are still there and
there is a market for them. The difference is that
now there is a wide offer beside these expensive
goods. But that is not really too recent a change
but has been going on for many years.”
M Magnus Ingelsson,
Purchasing Manager Fruit and
Vegetables at Axfood
Reporting On...
F&H International 1 • November 2011
17

18
NORDIC MARKETS
Internationalization vs. Pan-Nordic Players
The Fresh Produce Distribution
and Retail in the Nordic Countries
SWEDEN (LARGEST POPULATION) AND
DENMARK (HIGHEST POPULATION DEN-
SITy) ARE SUFFICIENTLy ATTRACTIVE TO
FOREIGN FRUIT TRADERS AND, BESIDES,
MAy SERVE AS A STEPPINGSTONE TO
THE FINNISH AND NORWEGIAN MARKET.
IN ADDITION, THE GENERAL TENDENCy
TOWARDS INTERNATIONALIzATION AND
THE PRESENCE OF EUROPEAN DISCOUNT
CHAINS WILL CONTRIBUTE TO FURTHER
CHANGES IN MARKETS PREVIOUSLy
CHARACTERIzED By LOW COMPETITION.
frEsh fruITs &
vEgETAblEs rETAIl In
swEDEn: MArkET shArEs
AnD supply (2009-2010)
ICA: approx. 70% supplied
by ICA Frukt & Grönt
COOP: 90% of supply via
Everfresh
Axfood: 85% supplied by
Axfood Frukt & Grönt
Netto: supply on the basis
of weekly offers
Lidl: supply via German
distribution platforms
Axfood
16%
Lidl
2% others
Netto 7%
3%
COOP
21%
F&H International 1 • November 2011 Reporting On...
ICA
51%
The entry, in the year 2000, of
Dutch food retail giant Ahold
into the biggest of all Nordic
markets by taking over a 50
per cent interest (increased
to 60% in 2004) in leading
Scandinavian food retailer
ICA, was a turning point for
an almost stagnant, inwardsoriented
Nordic food-retail
business characterized by little
competition. A process of
consolidation of the market
and elimination of less competitive
retailers started. The
key to success was cost minimization
and the only way to
minimize costs was centralizing
purchases, developing
private labels and focussing
on the Nordic market (and,
at least in the beginning,
even the Balticum) rather
than on domestic markets.
ICA Group, for example, today
operates and/or supplies
food to 1,350 ICA stores and
a great number of independent
retailers on their home
market, about 580 stores in
Norway (half are franchises),
and 235 stores in the
Baltic States. In the fruits and
vegetables segment, ICA-run
stores and franchisees ac-
count for more than half the
retail sales in Sweden.
COOP Norden, a genuinely
pan-Nordic agent owned
by Swedish (42%), Danish
(38%) and Norwegian (20%)
consumer associations, is
another major player of the
Nordic food retail. It operates
1,100 food retail stores
through its three subsidiaries
(COOP Sverige, Coop Danmark,
etc.); another 1,900
stores are run by COOP
Norden’s founding national
consumer cooperatives.
This way, COOP is one of
the leading food retailers in
all Nordic countries and accounts,
for example, for more
than 20 per cent of Swedish
fresh fruit and vegetables retail
sales.
Other big players of the
Nordic food retail trade are
Dansk Supermarked Gruppen
(A.P. Møller-Maersk
Group; Denmark and Sweden),
Axfood (more than
300 own or proprietor-run
stores in Sweden), Lidl (350
stores in all Nordic countries
except for Norway), and Edeka
(Denmark).

Reporting On...
NORDIC MARKETS
Centralized Sourcing,
Internationalization, and
Expansion as Keys to Success in
the Nordic Fruit Trade
THE MAjORITy OF THE BIG RETAIL
CHAINS IN THE NORDIC MARKET HAVE
BUNDLED AND TRANSFERRED PUR-
CHASING TO SUBSIDIARy COMPANIES.
FRANCHISEES MAINTAIN THE FREEDOM
TO PURCHASE THEIR FRESH PRODUCE
FROM OTHER SUPPLIERS, BUT SOURC-
ING FROM THE FRANCHISORS USES TO
BE THE MOST BENEFICIAL OPTION.
Operators at all levels of the
Nordic fruit trade are meeting
the stiff competition through
increased efficiency – centralizing
purchases, forming
international alliances and
expanding operations within
the Nordic/Baltic region.
As growth at home becomes
virtually impossible, mergers
and new forms of international
cooperation are the
only option to grow or at
least maintain one’s hold on
the market.
ICA Group, the Nordic region’s
leading retail chain
and 60%-owned by Royal
Ahold, sources the biggest
part of fruits and vegetables
(2009/10: about 70%)
through ICA Frukt & Grönt.
Purchases for pan-Nordic retail
group Coop Norden are
bundled in Coop Trading’s
activities; anyway, as more
than 60% of all Coop stores
are run by the different national
consumer associations
that own Coop Norden, there
are differences between countries
as to sourcing. For example,
in Sweden, where Coop
ranks second in the fruit and
vegetables retail business, in
2009, about 90 per cent of
fresh produce was supplied
by Everfresh, a Total Produce
Nordic associate. Another Total
Produce associate, Danish
Lembcke Group, is one of
Denmark’s leading importers.
In 2009, the two companies
bundled and transferred
their warehouse activities to
the Helsingborg (Sweden) –
based Nowaste Logistics A/S.
Dansk Supermarked Gruppen
has its own centralized
purchasing and importing facilities.
Supergros A/S, owned
by Dagrofa A/S, claims to
be the largest wholesaler in
the Danish grocery retail
market. It delivers everyday
commodities to several retail
chains (among them Dagrofa’s
‘Superbest’ and ‘Kiwi’)
and independent grocers.
Axfood, number three of the
Swedish fruit and vegetables
retail, sources around 85%
of the fresh produce through
Axfood Frukt & Grönt. ‘Netto
Sweden’, owned jointly by
Dansk Supermarked and ICA
Sweden, sources its fresh produce
via weekly offers from
major suppliers. The biggest
‘independent’ importer and
distributor of fruits and vegetables
on the Swedish market
is Saba Trading, since 2005
100% Dole-owned.
Lidl discount retail stores,
operating in all Nordic countries,
except for Norway, are
supplied with fruit and vegetables
via the chain’s distribution
centers in Germany.
German retailer Edeka (important
market share in Denmark)
sources its fresh produce
from Hamburg-based
Edeka Fruchtkontor.
F&H International 1 • November 2011
19

20
SainSbury´S |
now yellow courgette
Now the Sainsbury´s chain seems to have
discovered the yellow courgette and since
the month of September it has begun an important
advertising and promotions selling
the “gold courgette”.
This courgette has been grown in the British
town of Cornwall and will be sold in the
month of October. Sainsbury´s affirms that
the taste of this courgette “is very good with
a sweet taste in the palate”.
Sainsbury´s tries to make popular this courgette
which is shown like “a healthy, healthful
and green” product, besides being grown
“by the local producers”.
coop italia |
only 37 new openingS
The Coop chain is the supermarket with best
share of market in the sector of the fresh
products in Italy with figures over 18 per
cent. The chain finished the year 2010 with
similar figures due to the little movement of
the transalpine chains.
Coop only increased its figure of stores in
37, with a total of 1,444 stores in 2010 “where
the business of the fresh product chains fell
less than two per cent”, Vincenzo Tassari,
member of the board of the chain during the
presentation of the results.
Magnit |
it will open up head
officeS for the Volga
The Magnit group, owner of 4,000 small
stores and 66 supermarkets in Russia, will
open up next year a platform of purchases in
the region of the Volga to give service to its
stores of this zone.
The opening of this platform responds to
the interest of the chain to incorporate
new products of import to the most rural
stores. 70 per cent of the “convenience”
stores that Magnit owns are in cities with
less than 500,000 inhabitants and more than
50 per cent in cities where the agriculture is
important.
Magnit owns at present 14 head offices of
purchase in Russia, located in the South, the
Central zone and the Volga, North, the Urals
and Siberia.
F&H International 1 • November 2011 Retail
Eroski
Outrageous fresh
product practices
The Basque Eroski chain is
again in the eye of the storm
because of its outrageous
practices in the fruit and vegetable
products. The last one
is with the French potato, according
to the studies made
by the Council of Agriculture
of Castile and Leon.
The meeting of the regional
committee affirmed that this
chain commercialized potato
of France below the cost,
forcing the Spanish potato to
have to compete below the
Aldi Süd
The German chain, Aldi Süd,
has announced its intention
to work only pepper from Israel
if the Spanish producers
do not commit themselves
to work only with three active
substances to control the
plagues of this product.
Ever since campaign 2010-
2011 in Spain finalized, the
commercial ones of Aldi-Süd
have presented their new protocols
work, between which
they emphasize a significant
reduction of active matters
price of production costs.
Although Eroski was the
chain most criticized, other
chains like Alimerka had a
similar behaviour.
The Government of Castile
and Leon is carrying out
these controls to verify and
to demand the fulfilment of
the agreement of collaboration
with 10 chains of supermarkets
to promote the sale
of the potato of Castile and
Leon.
It announces that
only will work the
pepper from Israel
and, mainly, in Californian
pepper, where the chain
wishes that only three active
matters take part in the control
of plagues.
To date, no Spanish company
has signed the document
because of the impossibility
of this one, so Aldi-Süd
responds with its intention
to work only pepper from Israel,
since the companies of
this zone of production will
be committed to fulfil this
protocol.

Intermarché
The return to the
cheap prices in France
The Intermarché chain will
warm up the engine in autumn
and since the end of
summer it has a promotion
that is warning the rest of the
French supermarkets.
The chain is doing weekly
promotions guaranteeing
that it is the cheapest chain
and “if some chain offers a
cheaper price of the same
product they pay back the
difference”, from this chain
affirm.
Although the majority of
the cheap prices are for the
packaged and tinned agroalimentary
products, they
also offer fruit and vegetable
products produced in France
like Charentais melon, au-
Carrefour
bergines, tomatoes or apples
that are causing the control
of the rest of the chains.
The objective of Intermarché
is to settle strongly facing the
autumn and to take customers
from E.Leclerc and to take
advantage of the complex situation
of Carrefour.
The Planet in Greece
cools down
The investments of Carrefour
in Greece have stopped and
the project to become some
supermarkets into the new
Carrefour Planet from 2013
is only in the memories.
The economic situation of
Greece is not optimistic and
the project to become 10 new
supermarkets into Carrefour
“will not happen”, Lars Olofsson,
general manager of the
French group, affirms.
The French chain has announced
that it aim is not
leaving Greece and that it is
ready to be competitive in
the present situation. By the
way, the operations of import
of fruits and vegetables
to the Carrefour Greece have
decreased more than 30 per
cent respecting to the six first
months of 2010.
Retail
teSco |
the engliSh’S faVourite
The Tesco chain not only leads the commerce
of fruits and vegetables in the United
Kingdom, but it is the chain preferred by
the English, according to a survey made by
the Read Group, an analytical consultant of
marketing and data.
Tesco has been one of the chains with “better
development in the economic crisis”,
according to the results of the study. The
survey was done to 1,500 English consumers
and 74 per cent affirm that always buy in a
supermarket, opposite to 14 per cent that
do it sometimes by internet.
ica |
SaleS in norway
The ICA group has informed its intention to
sell the 24 Maxi stores that have in Norway
within the strategy to get rid off all the
stores of negative results. The Maxi format is
a hypermarket and it is restrained among the
Norwegians.
It is not the case of the medium size supermarkets
nor discounts that work right.
And for this reason, ICA is focusing in Rimi
discount and the network of supermarkets
ICA.
The sales of the group kept stopped during
the first six months of 2011, although they increased
in Rimi discount in Lithuania, Estonia
and Latvia. ICA has 2,150 stores.
F&H International 1 • November 2011
21

22
The organic products
begin to increase
in the Spanish
supermarkets
Four Spanish chains
begin to increase the
number of organic fruits
and vegetables in their
stands and even are doing
promotions to consolidate
the first sales and
to cultivate the loyalty of
the first customers.
The Corte Inglés and
Alcampo were the first
chains in having organic
fruits and vegetables and
now Carrefour, in its
Planet format, and Eroski
Global Bio
62 hectares of
F&H International 1 • November 2011 Organic
has initiated organic
plans with Spanish suppliers
directly.
Both Biofrutal and Biosanz
has begun to work
with the platforms of
these chains in the North
of Spain and this autumn
it is anticipated that the
horticultural producers
or organic in the Spanish
south-east will increase
their direct sendings with
these four chains.
Ekobaby
It has invoiced
seven million Euros
The company of Granada,
Ekobaby, has not stopped to
grow in volume and business.
Its important bet on the
production of organic products
is the key to understand
the work of a company which
business has been increasing
diversifying its supply of
products: Dutch cucumber,
cherry and truss tomato as
the most important products
and aubergine, French
cucumber, watermelon and
courgette as complement.
The profits were optimum
and the invoicing reached
nearly seven million Euros
last campaign, reason why
the company has invested in
extending its facilities 600
square meters to “improve
the manufacturing and packaging
of the products”, Francisco
Correa, manager of
organic production Ekobaby, affirms.
Francisco Correa, manager of Ekobaby.
The Global Bio company
has signed an
agreement to commercialize
the totality
of the organic production
of 62 hectares of
greenhouses of producers
in Almería.
Global Bio has an ample
portfolio of products
from cucumbers
to courgette and different
varieties of tomato.
“The manufacturing
of the production will
done by the producers
directly in the field to
The company commercialized
in the last campaign
8,000 tons of horticultural
products in a surface of 67
hectares of greenhouses between
the zones of the Coast
of Málaga, Níjar, El Ejido and
the north of Almería and
Granada.
Facing this campaign, Correa
anticipates a rise of the
production between 5-10 per
cent, depending on the climate
conditions. “At present,
it is important to mention
that there are no plagues
of trips, tuta absoluta and
white fly, thanks partly to
the perfect setting of the Nesidiocoris
tenuis, reason why
Denree has more organic stores
in Germany then Alnatura
The chain of organic supermarkets,
Denree, surpasses
for the first time to Alnatura
in number of stores in Germany
thanks to the greater
activity of openings than it
has had during the first six
months of 2011.
At present Denree has 64
be more competitive”,
Cristóbal Vargas, manager
of Global Bio, affirms.
Global Bio will complement
this organic
horticultural supply
with the agreements
with different producers
of leaf products in
the Region of Murcia.
Although the commercial
destinations
are about to know,
“Germany will be our
main market”, Vargas
affirms.
stores and Alnatura 61 stores,
thanks to the eight new stores
opened all around Germany.
The new Denree stores are
in Hamburg, Hannover,
Colony, Lüneburg, Meerbusch,
Munich, Schweinfurt
and Pforzheim, this last
one thanks to an agreement
with the regional channel
Füllhorn, according to the
information of the Organic
Market.
The rate of openings responds
to the good rate of
sales of organic products in
Germany and to the possibility
that these chains have
we think that our supply can
grow remarkably”.
The economic strategy is
based on operations with
value customers. Not in vain,
the destination of a very high
percentage of their sales is
the chains of European supermarkets.
However, it has
also important operations
with specialized stores and
wholesales.
For this reason, the Nordic
destinations, the United
Kingdom, Germany, France
and Switzerland, among others,
are the most important
markets of this company of
Granada.
to open stores in those cities
where there are not this type
of stores.
In fact, the rate of openings
on the part of all the distributors
specialized in organic
products is going to increase
in the next months.
Alnatura has already announced
that its rate of openings
is going to increase during
the second six months of
2011 with the aim of reaching
70 stores.

Nature Choice
More than 60 per
cent of cucumber
Cucumber is the most important
product for the company
of Almería, Nature Choice,
since it is 63 per cent of the
total sales. Pepper is also in
an outstanding place with a
product portfolio of 30 per
cent. There are also important
the products of summer
(melon and watermelon)
with a percentage of 12 per
cent and, to a lesser extent,
tomato with only one per
cent.
About the destinations, the
export is the key in the development
of the company and
with the Nordic destinations
and Germany like important
places. In fact, it has consolidated
its operations with
cucumber and pepper in
these markets and keeps its
commercial strategy in important
places as: Holland,
Baltic and France, among
others. Also with melon and
watermelon. However, Antonio
Romero, manager of the
company, assures that “the
demand of product from the
British market has decreased
rEprEsEnTATIon of ThE porTfolIo of
proDucTs of nATurE choIcE.
Source: Nature Choice
Cucumber
62,0%
Pepper
29,0%
in the last year, whereas in
the Baltic Countries of the
East the goods flow has been
constant”.
The Scandinavian Countries
are important Nature Choice
too. In fact, thanks to the
strategic position of this destination
its volume of invoicing
increased remarkably in
the last five years. Concretely,
the shipments of products
to this important place in the
year 2010 were more than 30
per cent of the total of their
fruits and vegetables shipments.
However, it is not the unique
destination which volume
increases since the same
happens in the stands of the
supermarkets in Germany:
from nine per cent in the
campaign 2004/05 to nearly
20 per cent in the last year.
Other increasing markets are
in the destinations: East of
Europe, France and Spain.
Specially, this last one is 15
per cent of the volume commercialized.
Melon and watermelon
8,0%
Tomato
1,0%
Enterprises
Murgiverde
Reaching
150,000 tons
This company of Almería,
Murgiverde, keeps
on increasing its volume
of business and
it has already reached
150,000 tons commercialized
during the last
campaign which makes
of this company a reference
in the fruit and
vegetable business. And
it is that the two new
partners after the merger
of Murgiverde with
Campovícar and Geosur
have reinforced the
commercial position of
the company in the international
view, since
annually the volume
of Geosur is 27,000
tons and the supply of
Campovícar is around
20,000 tons.
In the destinations, the
export is the key in the
commercial development
of the company
and specially Germany,
the United Kingdom
and France.
The merger has increased
the figure of
the partners, with a
surface of greenhouses
that is in the threshold
of 1,250 hectares. It has
forced to restructure
the way of work. Thus,
each one of the four
manufacturing stores
of Mugiverde is used for
a specific product (except
for those of greater
volume), with the aim
of “not repeating the
product and optimizing
better the resources
and the time”, Manuel
Galdeano, manager of
Murgiverde, explains.
F&H International 1 • November 2011
23

24
Frutas El Romeral
Avocado
“Hass” brand
Frutas El Romeral is in
a privileged place in the
economic development
of the province of Granada.
Its manager, Antonio
Sanchez, assumes
the effort to respond to
the constant ups and
downs of the present
fruits and vegetables
market, reason why has
created a team that assures
a final profitability
to the company. Not
in vain, it is shown in
the industrial view of
Granada like one of the
companies with higher
volume of production
in this zone.
The efforts of this company
to offer the maximum
quality of the
products is reflected
in the quality strategy,
since its avocado is
commercialized with
the “Hass” brand. “We
have been able to register
our supply of avocado
with this brand and
the repercussions are
positive in the different
destinations, since
the consumers link our
brand with the variety
of avocado”, Sánchez
explains.
In the last campaign,
Frutas El Romeral finished
the year with
4,000 tons of avocado,
like a traditional product
of the zone, and for
this season it anticipates
an increase of the
supply between 5-10
per cent.
Although the main part
of the avocado that
Frutas El Romeral commercializes
is the Hass
variety, it also has commercialized
500,000
kilos of the Bacon and
Fuerte varieties, with
an ample range of destinations.
The export means 80
per cent of the product
and it is distributed in
the Old World, overseas
countries (the United
States and Canada)
and in the Middle East
(Countries of the Persian
Gulf).
F&H International 1 • November 2011 Enterprises
Antonio Sanchez, manager of Frutas El Romeral.
Reyes Gutiérrez
The greater Spanish
importer of avocado
The continuity in the business
has led it to be placed
in the first level like supplier
of reference of the Spanish
chains of supermarkets and
to multiply its relations with
the British, French, German
and north of Europe markets,
among others. Also the Swiss
market and the Italian one.
This expansive development
in the markets responds to
an increase of the productivity,
because of the constant
innovations in machinery
and technology.
This expansive strategy has
made of this company in the
campaign 2009-10 to have a
supply of 10,000 tons - 8,000
The company of Málaga, Frunet
keeps on growing in organic
products. At present,
it has a production of 1,200
tons of organic avocado, being
the export its main destination.
And it is that since it initiated
its business activity in 2003
in the Algarrobo municipal
district (Málaga), the company
has not stopped growing
in volume and business.
The important bet on the
subtropical products with a
strategy of diversification of
supply is the key to understand
the operation of a company
that has held fast in the
ecological market, applying
a defined strategy of operations
with value clients.
Currently, the work done
through the import is basic
to give service to its ample
portfolio of customers. “The
import of avocado of different
countries from South
America like Mexico, Peru
and Chile allows us to close
tons of avocado and 2,000
tons of mango, where the
import is the key in the commercial
view of the company.
And it is that the range of the
countries of which it imports
is very ample: Peru, Chile,
Ecuador or Mexico, among
others.
Respecting to the industry
business, Reyes Gutiérrez
has launched in the modern
distribution the cooled
avocado, taking advantage of
the positive synergy that has
with the company Avomix in
Málaga, whose main activity
is the production of different
sauces of avocado.
Frunet
A production of
1,200 tons of
“organic” avocado
Antonio Lavao, manager of Frunet.
the cycle of the commercialization.
That is to say, the 12
months, and also the supply
that is harvested in Spain,
being the main destination
the export. For this reason,
the Nordic destinations, Germany,
France and the United
Kingdom, among others, are
the 4 markets of reference of
this company of Málaga.

This company that commercializes
subtropical products,
Trops, will try in the present
campaign to consolidate its
volumes of quality production.
Not in vain, this company
has a surface of 2,000
hectares of avocado and 800
hectares of mango which are
distributed in more than 22
countries.
The conventional supply will
continue focusing on subtropical
products, mainly, avocado
and mango. A line that
is increasing an it is reflected
in the surface of 14,000
square meters of ground for
the construction of their new
facilities from February of
2012 which together with
6,000 square meters that it
has already, “will allow us to
extend our capacity of manufacturing
and packaging of
the products, and also the
zone of refrigerator chambers
with a surface for 3,000
pallets”, Enrique Colilles,
manager of Trops, affirms.
The information about the
future management of the
company pointed out to an
increase of the production
and the partners. The potential
is focused on strategies
Enrique Colilles, manager of Trops.
Trops
Its portfolio of
subtropical products
is consolidated
based on the diversification
of the portfolio and markets.
Trops has started up
four lines of business: the
opening of a department of
supply, a commercial line of
organic production, the import
and a line of by-products
for the industry. In fact,
this new way is growing 40
per cent annually, mainly, in
the important destinations
like France, the United Kingdom,
Sweden and Germany,
among others.
At present, it already means
the three per cent of the marketing
total invoicing of the
company.
Respecting to the organic
products, Trops has already
initiated an important bet on
the organic business. During
the previous campaign the
15 per cent of the supply of
organic subtropical products
was commercialized with
the Entrerios brand. Not only
the avocado deserved the effort
of the supply on the part
of the company it has been
also for the mango, “a reality
that will continue in the next
campaigns, and with an only
one way: the export”, Colilles
affirms.
Enterprises
Maisara Fruits
peru and Chile
like the main
suppliers
Currently the company
of Málaga, Maisara
Fruits, has an ample
product portfolio
where the fruits are the
main products of their
commercial strategy,
although its lines of
subtropical fruits also
stand out, mainly, avocado
and mango.
The import of the avocado
is the key for the
commercial development
of the company,
not in vain 80 per cent
of this subtropical fruit
is operating through
this line of business,
whereas 20 per cent is
distributed in the Spanish
market.
In this last campaign
the imports of this
subtropical fruit of the
Hass variety from Peru
has increased noticeably
in the dates of
March to September
and from Chile during
the months of September
to February, reaching
already 2,000 tons
commercialized, being
Europe and Morocco
the main destinations
of this product.
It is indeed this last
place where the business
of Maisara Fruits
is consolidated most.
However, the avocado
is also supplied in Holland,
France, Italy and
Switzerland, among
other markets. In addition,
recently it has incorporated
a new destination:
Russia, mainly,
with origin of Spain
and the varieties Bacon
and Fuerte.
All the products of this
company are sent to the
international market
because they have on
annual product plans,
where the chains of supermarkets,
discounts
and “catering” are the
kind of customer of
Maisara Fruits.
With the Breda and Amy
brands, the company
offers a product that
fulfills all the European
norms of quality and
trazability. “Our main
objective is to guarantee
a fresh product of
quality and a delivery
in destination on time,
that is why we have a
rigorous effective quality
control and logistics
of the transport”, Mohamed
Oulkadi, manager
of Maisara Fruits,
affirms.
Mohamed Oulkadi, manager of Maisara Fruits.
F&H International 1 • November 2011
25

F&H International 1 • November 2011
26
Opinion Piece
Optimism -
Wishful Thinking
or Courage Born
of Desperation?
It was in Düsseldorf on October 21,
at the ‘First Conference on Fruits
and Vegetables’ where I learned of
a new German food-alert website.
I do not remember the exact reason why
the launch of ‘lebensmittelwarnung.de’
was mentioned but it was surely in some
EHEC-crisis related context – most lecturers
had no choice but to touch on the
subject. There were also some speeches
that dealt explicitely with the EHEC crisis
and, above all, the lessons on crisis
management we have been taught. The
most important points that virtually all
speakers agreed on were the promptness
of reaction and the adequacy of
the communications strategy. Not stunningly
new but, of course, absolutely
true. What was a surprise to me was
that there seemed to be a rather clear
consensus that everyone would be
much smarter next time. What are the
reasons for so much optimism? What
prepares us to face and efficiently manage
similar incidents in the future? Let
us remind what happened last spring
and summer: first, there was the EHEC
outbreak; then alleged culprit upon
alleged culprit was presented to the
public whereupon each and every one
of the sectors under suspicion claimed
their innocence and demanded conclusive
evidence; that evidence could never
be found, instead someone else was accused.
No doubt, there is room for improvement,
but both the fruit trade and
the growers reacted every time they had
to. However, consumption collapsed
almost completely - against all factual
evidence. What new tools are there to
prevent the gutter press to use headlines
featuring “Killer Cucumbers”, “Deadly
Lettuce” or “Suicides Scrambling for
the Salad Bar”? Something must have
passed me by …
Unless, of course, the abovementioned
new website is what was so badly needed.
Maybe if consumers could have
looked up every morning which foodstuff
posed EHEC-related health risks
to them, nothing much would have
happened. Just imagine: mid-May –
“could be bad for you to eat beef and
drink raw milk”; a few days later - “consumption
of raw vegetables is probably
riskier than raw milk”; May 25 - consumers
are cautioned against “Northern
German tomatoes, cucumbers, and
lettuce” (Grown there? Sold there?);
towards the end of May - “children are
discouraged from eating raw vegetables,
pregnant women should do without
raw meat and raw milk products”;
May 26- “Whoopee!!! it is cucumbers
from Spain and maybe Holland”; end
of May - the German Minister for consumer
protection, to be on the safest
side, repeats the warning against “raw
tomatoes, lettuce, and cucumbers”; May
31 - “sorry, it was definitely not Spanish
cucumbers”; early in June - “do not
dine at the restaurant Kartoffelkeller in
Lübeck”; almost at the same time - “soybean
sprouts from Lower Saxony are
bad for you”; and so on and so forth...
O.K., I think you agree that ‘lebensmittelwarnung.de’
would not have changed
a thing. But then, where does all that
German optimism come from? If anybody
has a clue and wants to tell me,
I would be much obliged. Thank you
very much in advance.
Uwe Schwießelmann
coordinator
f&h international

IMAGE:
Francisco Bonilla
F&H International 1 • November 2011
Mandarin segment. 27 27

F&H International 1 • November 2011
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