The timing of Ramadan in Indonesia this year has closed doors for some imports, but opened them for others.
The religious festival, which finished on Saturday, generally heralds a boost in fruit sales in the country of about 30 per cent each year.
But the timing of Ramadan this year has left some major categories out in the cold, namely Chinese and US apples, whose new seasons fell too late. Grapes from China sold well because of the limited volumes that escaped China’s hungry domestic market this year, but early-season US grapes are not faring quite as well, said leading importers.
“This situation has given more opportunity to Thai longan, which has been one of the best selling fruit, to gain even more volume,” Yuyuh Sukmana of Vanguard International told Fruitnet.com.
A flood of Chinese pears on the market has also driven down returns. Overall sales volumes are expected to come in lower than last year.
