The December holidays have caused an uptick in demand for some exotic fruit varieties and Asian retailers in particular pair exotic fruits to increase store visits this time of year. “Our Brazilian Samba papaya and Ecuadorian white dragon fruits are doing exceptionally well in Canada and California,” says Melissa Hartmann de Barros with HLB Specialties. The demand increase is mainly driven by good availability. Yellow dragon fruit is also in high demand this holiday season. However, the variety is currently in a supply gap. “While this gap is common this time of year, it has been exacerbated by a cold front that happened in November.”
As a result, there is not much fruit available, and growers are having to protect themselves from thieves that enter the fields and steal Yellow dragon fruits while they are still immature. Hartmann de Barros heard the same is happening with mangos in Ecuador, which is all caused by extreme supply shortages.
Year of the Dragon
Other exotics are expected to see a surge in demand around mid-to-end of January in anticipation of Lunar New Year, which will be the Year of the Dragon in 2024. “With that in mind, our dragon fruit packaging has been redesigned and we are excited to launch the new look in January,” Hartmann de Barros shared. Overall, HLB Specialties is expecting an increase in demand for exotic fruits that are given as gifts during Lunar New Year. “Of the items we carry, we expect Brazilian small papaya (Golden and Samba varieties), white and yellow dragon fruit, mangosteen, as well as lychee to do well.” Other tropicals that are handed as gifts and enjoy a higher demand during Lunar New Year include mandarins, Korean pears, mangos, and longan.
HLB also has a division in Germany that typically witnesses a much higher demand for tropicals and exotics leading up to the holidays compared to the United States. However, nothing is normal this year. “As a result of weather disruptions and logistical challenges, both Brazil and Spain had a surplus of ripe papayas that were being sold at relatively low prices in Europe,” Hartmann de Barros said. At the same time, the weather in the northern part of Europe was not favorable and sales stayed soft as a result. “Unfortunately, papayas did not have a strong holiday season this year, but other tropical and exotic items did well.”
Source: Fresh Plaza
