Blue runs the world?

Hello from the Fruitnet newsroom. The news that BerryWorld and Tropic Cool plan to establish production of high-quality blueberry varieties in Rwanda says a lot about that specific branch of the soft fruit business right now. And of course, it’s a development that reflects Rwanda’s incredible recovery from what was the darkest episode of its history in the mid-1990s.

The recent proliferation of export-grade blueberry production – into an ever-expanding list of countries where the fruit’s commercial production was either previously unheard of, or just geared to domestic trade – is a very big deal for the fruit business. It’s a development that has already brought plenty of success and value to supply chains from places like Mexico, Morocco, Peru, and Poland; and now it appears set to do the same in countries as diverse as Australia, China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Romania, and yes Rwanda.

This week, a few of the Fruitnet team (myself included) were in Tasmania for BerryQuest International, where we heard about Australia’s exciting plans to grow its berry export business. As new opportunities around the Asia-Pacific beckon, blueberries have a big part to play in the category’s expansion there. And as those markets grow, greater demand for local production is also expected – a trend that the likes of Agrovision have already tuned into in China. A few days from now, we head to Rotterdam for the Fruitnet Berry Congress. The continued rise of the blueberry is sure to be at the heart of our discussions there too. To book your ticket, visit fruitnet.com/berrycongress

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More freshly picked stories…

Life line ?? UK-based biotech firm Tropic has revealed it will roll out a non-browning banana this month, as well as bananas with extended shelf-life by the end of the year. Plus, it is working on a new type of Cavendish that it says could be resistant to Panama disease, or TR4. All three developments could have far-reaching consequences and restore some long-term confidence. When it comes to the challenge of driving up profitability, for the banana multinationals the stakes are arguably higher than for most other companies. Unlike a startup, they have had to create new growth while maintaining, refreshing, or even abandoning their legacy income streams. In that context, Fresh Del Monte’s recent full-year results are pretty impressive, driven by growth in premium pineapples, avocados and fresh-cut fruit. As are Dole’s full-year figures, which leave the group in a strong position despite increased uncertainty caused by what it describes as an “evolving geopolitical environment”.

Hot topic ???? The debate over how hard to regulate on environmental and ethical sustainability is one that’s hotting up faster than, well… I leave the choice of analogy to you. For now, however, it’s clear that the European Commission is at least sympathetic to the idea that companies want a lighter touch on its corporate responsibility rules. But as they attempt to cool down their CSRD reporting proposals, those same rule makers have started to feel the political heat from elsewhere. Some NGOs insist there should be more, not less regulation. Writing on Fruitnet last week, Banana Link’s Alistair Smith accused French supermarket buyers of applying unprecedented pressure to obtain abnormally low purchase prices from their banana suppliers. For BayWa, which is expected to sell off fresh produce subsidiaries including T&G Global in the coming years, its own financial sustainability is the more pressing concern. And that’s exactly what its shareholders hope incoming CEO Frank Hiller and new CFO Matthias Rapp can achieve.

Changing lanes ?? Edwin Reyes of Promar International has written this fascinating piece about how markets are changing for Latin American fruit exporters. Using examples from Peru, Colombia, Brazil and Chile, he considers to what extent the continent’s suppliers have moved away from their traditional markets in North America and Europe in order to achieve new sales in Asia. Either way, it’s clear that Peruvian exporter Camposol is doing something right. It has just reported a big leap in its full-year net profit, having navigated a complex blueberry market and achieved “outstanding” results for grapes, avocados and mangoes. For Ecuador’s banana trade, meanwhile, export growth in January was driven mainly by increased demand in the EU, US, Russia, East Asia and Eastern Europe. But in other parts of the world, sales were down. Maybe the country could one day sell more fruit within the Latin America region itself? Last month, it sent a 35-tonne consignment of Hass avocados and red dragon fruit to Argentina – the first time ever that any fresh fruit has been shipped between the two countries in that direction.

Viva l’avolution ?? Spanish company Unica has taken its big corporate nacho and used it to scoop up a big helping of avocado production. The acquisition of two cooperatives in Cádiz – Campo Guadiaro and Tesoricoop – adds 15,000 tonnes of organic avocados and also citrus to its offer. And that should help it achieve another stand-out result this year after its record €676mn turnover in 2023/24. Meanwhile, Tom Joyce has been finding out how Kenyan avocado grower Enzispring manages to connect with buyers across Europe and the Middle East, despite intense competition at times from Peru. Maura Maxwell has this update on the Hass Avocado Board’s new consumer marketing programme. And could this country become the latest to join the growing list of global Hass avocado exporters?

Wind resistance ????? Our correspondent Fred Meintjes reports on the first few weeks of the citrus season in South Africa, where earlier production means lemon exporters now find themselves hampered by a new problem, and one already familiar to apple, pear and grape exporters – the so-called Cape Doctor. Those wind-related delays have caused such a big issue for many south African exporters, that many have given their support to the development of a conventional shipping programme. But at least if those shipments do set sail bound for the US, the threat of strike action there has been averted for the next six years at least.

Kiwi-ck off the mark ?? New Zealand has begun its earliest-ever kiwifruit harvest. And that record February start is down to the careful commercial development of a new variety that could be a sign of further innovation in years to come, as single-desk export marketer Zespri looks to stay ahead of its competitors. In the shorter term, the early start for RubyRed and SunGold is very healthy in commercial terms, because selling more product in what is a relatively undersupplied period of the year could make this a very successful campaign indeed. And in the longer term, the group looks well positioned to reach more and more consumers, as this particular story suggests. The country’s largest apple exporter, meanwhile, says its recent decision to sell certain orchards and buy others that grow more premium varieties, has already begun to pay dividends.

Tom topics ?? Supply dynamics, technological innovations, sustainability, and changing consumer demands will be centre stage at the next Fruitnet Tomato Congress, which takes place in Málaga, Spain, on 11-12 November. Check out the programme here. One delegate who could be there this time around is Exim Agro’s Yorkin Inamov, who believes Uzbekistan has an opportunity to grow its share of the fresh tomato market in the coming years.

Less is more ?? Turkish exporter Alanar has done something unexpected. It has deliberately reduced the amount of cherries and apricots it plans to sell this year. Find out why by reading Tom Joyce’s exclusive story here. You could argue that Chile’s kiwifruit industry is doing the same. It has apparently prioritised quality over quantity for the current campaign, a tactic evidently absent from the country’s recent cherry deal in China. And it’s been a good year for Argentina’s cherry suppliers, in stark contrast to their Chilean counterparts.

C?te check ?? As demand for high-quality mangoes continues to rise across Europe, C?te d’Ivoire is positioning itself as a key player in the international market. That’s according to Madigbe Diaby of ADF Agro, who has been speaking to Tom Joyce about its export strategy.

Birthday brand ?? Californian company Wonderful Citrus celebrates its 75th anniversary this year. And to celebrate that milestone, it has revealed plans to bring back its original namesake brand as a primary label within its portfolio. And, in other citrus-related news, Albania is developing a reputation as a source of some top-notch mandarins, according to a new book. In other brand news, British retail chain Iceland added Keelings’ Love to Grow label to its fruit and veg as part of a major revamp in late 2023. But now, in favour of a return to its own private label, it has reversed that decision. Coincidentally, a new report published in the past week suggests private labels have stayed in touch with changing consumer demand by offering affordable, high-quality products that tick the right boxes when it comes to health, sustainability and value.

Still ripe and ready…

Fresh episode ?? Aldi has added avocados to its responsible sourcing model. Listen to Chris White’s Fruitbox conversation with buyer Franka Rodriguez here.

Berry mix ???? The world’s leading event for the fresh berry business prepares to open its doors in Rotterdam next week. Join us at Fruitnet Berry Congress for first-class analysis and the finest networking.

Thanks for reading…

Mike Knowles, Fruitnet Europe

PS Our coverage of the various events stages at Fruit Logistica 2025 in Berlin is second to none. So check out all our Fruit Logistica-related stories on Fruitnet to see what you might have missed.