Summary of the global berry market
Berries are booming. In search of superfoods and antioxidants, more and more consumers end up in front of the red fruit shelves. This is what a study by the University of Palermo reveals, for which 200 Germans were surveyed about the reasons that led them to buy berries. The result is that the health benefits are the main reason for purchase. 29,5% of consumers buy berries in the supermarket, while another 23,5% do so in the local market.
Due to the increase in demand, the volume of supply is also growing, which has led to low prices in Mexico. Before 2000, growers still received $ 40 for a box of blackberries. Today, the price is around $ 6. In Europe, the weather conditions are taking a toll on berry prices. Spain has had an extremely mild winter, which has allowed raspberries to grow very soon and prices have been significantly affected. British growers fear a predominance of small sizes as the mild winter has been followed by an unusually cold spring.
Ups and downs
In Italy, raspberries are one of the five most profitable berries. A plant costs an average of 1,40 euros and remains productive for a period of more than 6 years. With an average production of 25.000 to 30.000 euros per 5.000 square meters, the profitability of raspberries ranges from 1 to 1,2 tons per square kilometer, with prices ranging from 5 to 10 euros per kilo and maximums of between 12 and 14 euros. in direct sales to the catering sector.
It is not surprising that more and more Italian companies are attracted to the cultivation of duties, especially raspberries. Most of the berries are grown in the Trentino area, followed by Verona and Saluzzo. In the south, berry crops are concentrated in Calabria and Sicily, and significant volumes are also produced in Romagna. Raspberries are closely followed by blackberries, which are also expected to see a considerable increase in cultivation over the next five years. Until August, prices remained at around 8 euros per kilo, although they fell rapidly as a result of the overlap with the Spanish season.
High temperatures
The unusually high temperatures recorded earlier this year have taken a toll on the Spanish raspberry market. Raspberries grew very fast and the oversupply led to low prices. Now, the situation is stable, but prices remain low. The biggest threat, in fact, is growers making the switch to raspberries such a bad strawberry season. «If Huelva does not maintain its 7.000 hectares of strawberries, in the end it will produce more raspberries than the market can absorb», says an important Spanish exporter.
The main market for Spanish berries is Europe, but interest is also increasing in Asia. If the necessary certificates are obtained, the biggest challenge will be to overcome cultural differences. For now, volumes shipped to the Far East remain negligible and will not have much of an effect on the market.
A little further north, France is enjoying good market conditions, priced at € 17 per kilo for its gooseberries. The Dutch season is ending and will be followed by Chile and Portugal.
Smaller gauges
The unsettled weather in Great Britain continues to be a factor in uncertainty for UK berry prices. «It is difficult to estimate what the impact of the mild winter and cold spring will be on berry crops. For example, calibers may be smaller, which could result in higher labor costs for harvesting."explains a British merchant. British consumers are also aware of the healthy properties of berries and are buying them more and more often. The price of raspberries had been under pressure in recent years, but that is changing now. «Lately, there has been a large supply of raspberries, but the prices have been relatively good».
Across the North Sea, there has been an increase in demand for raspberries, blackberries and red currants in the Netherlands. The red currant season is ending a little earlier this year. Its storage capacity is somewhat worse, but the quality is good. There are some Chilean berries on the market, but for the rest, the Netherlands is managing without imports. Exports go mainly to France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the Middle East. The greenhouse blackberry season has just begun. Whenever prices are under pressure, it is difficult to generate additional sales. The reason is that blackberries are not a product that retailers use in promotions. Despite the supply from Portugal and Spain, raspberry prices are good. The volumes of Dutch raspberries are not very large yet and prices are certainly not under pressure.
Lower prices
Also in Mexico, the healthy properties of berries are stimulating their demand. Although the market share of blueberries is growing steadily, blackberries are also in high demand. In Mexico, the largest companies sell more than 4 tons of blackberries to more than a thousand retailers throughout the country. Ten years ago, retailers did not even buy a kilo and now the sector sees no limits to growth in the future. Berry cultivation was introduced thirty years ago and the greatest expansion took place between 2000 and 2008, when the acreage went from 2.000 to 10.000 hectares. Until 2011, Mexico was the largest exporter of blackberries, a position now held by the United States.
With the expansion of the surface, prices have also fallen. Prior to the 2000 year, approximately 40 dollars are paid for a box of blackberries containing 12 170 grams packaging. That figure has now fallen to 6 dollars. In addition to the expansion of the surface in Mexico, the growth of this crop throughout the world is also responsible for this decline.
For now, Mexicans had not been exporting much, but the dependence on foreign investors will gradually change the situation. For now, most of the Mexican berries are sent to the United States, where entrepreneurs sell the fruit in the local market or re-export to other countries.
Hails in Mexico
The Mexican blackberries arrive through California, Texas and Arizona to the United States, where they are sold at prices ranging from 10 to 12 dollars. According to an American trader, the impact of frost and hail has caused problems for those looking for a premium quality fruit. Florida imports blackberries from Guatemala for prices that range from $ 12 to $ 14. The Mexican blackberry season peaks in May and lasts until mid-June, beginning again in September. The season in the United States begins in late May and runs through mid-July. The Arkansas harvest runs from the second week of June through early fall. In California, the season runs from summer to fall.
The production volume is doubled
In Australia, there are producers all over the country, with the exception of the Northern Territory and Western Australia. There are a total of 120 producers of blackberries (20%) and raspberries (80%). In the last five years, production volume has doubled and the value of the sector has increased from $ 40 million in 2013 to more than $ 50 million in 2014/15.
Most of the production is concentrated in Victoria, New South Wales and many places in Tasmania, although Queensland has also registered significant growth in recent years. The sector has a unique mix of medium-sized farms and large corporations, which cultivate most of their blackberries and raspberries under cover, both in soil and water.
Australian production is mainly destined for the domestic market and traditionally peaks between summer and autumn. However, the protected cultivation of berries guarantees availability throughout the year. The 250 hectares dedicated to blackberries and raspberries produced almost 2.000 tons of fruit between 2012 and 2013. Compared to 2010, the 2014 volume has doubled and the sector, given the growing demand, expects that the volume obtained in the campaign 2013/14 to double again in 2018.
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