During the first half of April, rates remained fairly high since the overall supply, although on the rise, was outstripped by demand. However, at the end of the first half-month, the increase in volumes in anticipation of Easter led to prices stabilising and then falling. Only the established brands with very low fruit loads continued to apply high rates. At the beginning of the second half-month, the cumulative supply was distinctly more substantial because of shipping delays. The fruit that arrived too late for the Easter sales weighed down on the market. This tightened up very quickly, and operators started to lower prices in the hope of getting their stocks moving. Meanwhile, the Cayenne supply, hitherto performing well, saw its first major quality concerns, leading to its absence for the last week of the month.
In the run-up to Easter, the air-freight market, still deprived of Beninese Cayenne, was on a positive trend. The school holidays did not impede the fruit’s market activity, since the overall supply was outstripped by demand. Despite some quality concerns (lack of coloration due to rains), the Cameroonian supply still sold well. After Easter, demand was less high and sales more difficult, especially for the least coloured fruits. Sugarloaf sales remained complicated throughout the month for green fruit batches, which sold less well. The air-freight supply was topped up by some batches of Sweet from Cuba or the Dominican Rep., offered at €2.50 and €2.70/kg respectively.
With a lean supply throughout the month, the Victoria market maintained a positive trend with high prices. After Easter, rates actually strengthened since the supply was still lean, helping operators to earn better value for the more sought-after sizes 6 and 7.
In May, the situation gradually deteriorated. From the first half-month, the operators were informed that the natural flowering phenomenon would disrupt the Costa Rican supply. So Sweet volumes saw a steep rise, while demand constantly shrank, increasingly captured by a supply of seasonal fruits available at low prices. In the course of the first half-month, the operators had to relax their prices, and several sales were made at rates well below those indicated below. The market conditions were aggravated by the fact that the Costa Rican supply was imbalanced, in large part comprising small fruits which were of little interest to purchasers. At the end of the month, the pineapple market activity was much reduced despite a downward trend in rates.
Because of the numerous public holidays in May, the operators opted to cut back imports on the air-freight market to better align supply with demand. While during the first half-month this strategy worked well, it was less effective thereafter. The increase in the seasonal fruits supply very rapidly diverted demand, and pineapple sales were distinctly less fluid, forcing operators to expand their price ranges. On the Sugarloaf market, the chasm was increasingly wide between the coloured fruits supply from Ghana, which sold well and at higher rates (2.30 euros/kg), and the supply of green fruits from Benin, which struggled to sell. Coloured Sweet were more or less well valued at between 2.20 and 2.70 euros/kg. The fall in prices on this market at the end of the month was also substantial following an increase in the seasonal fruits supply.
Throughout the month, the Victoria supply was limited because of either rains in Mauritius, or less abundant production from Reunion. From the second half-month, purchasers’ interest in the fruit was lower, forcing the operators to reduce their prices significantly.
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