Thai exotic produce grower-shipper Blue River is focusing on increasing its market share in mainland Europe this year.
The high-end Thai fruit and vegetable supplier said it sees a great growth opportunity for its pre-prepared vegetable-stirfry packs in European countries where demand for fresh convenience is rising.
Northern European countries are willing to pay a premium for quality fresh-cut products, Blue River UK and European sales manager Stuart Buchanan told Fruitnet.
'We have a great opportunity in mainland Europe,' he said. 'You can't match the quality with us.'
Produce is grown on Blue River farms, where it is monitored carefully before being airfreighted to export destinations.
For the last two years, Blue River's export growth has focused on the UK, developing sales of its airfreight mango as well as its airfreight fresh curry packs to retailers.
But last June's UK Brexit vote and subsequent devaluation of the pound sterling has dealt a blow to the Thai grower-shipper, as it has made its range more expensive for British consumers.
'We're not abandoning our UK market by any means. Support from UK retailers enabled us to develop enormously,' Buchanan said. 'We are currently developing curry kits for UK caterers to help them increase flavour and reduce waste. This is a new area we are working on.'
Blue River sales to Japan are also set to grow this year. The firm has seen demand in Japan increase over the last 12 months, and the market now accounts for 15 per cent of Blue River's total export trade.
Products like packed mangosteen and baby pineapple are popular with Japanese consumers, said Blue River founder and owner Soonthorn Sritawee.
Demand for Blue River's value-added packs is also increasing in the Middle East.
'Our exports are now spread across four main regions: the UK, 35 per cent, Europe, 20 per cent, Japan, 15 per cent, and the Middle East, 30 per cent,' Sritawee said.
Blue River is hoping Mother Nature will be kinder to Thailand this year. In 2015/16, Thailand suffered its worst drought in living memory, costing the company its entire mango and lychee production. Then heavy rains affected plantations towards the end of 2016.
Blue River tries to mitigate the impact of weather damage on its production by growing fruit and vegetables in regions all over Thailand, Sritawee said. However, there was no escaping last year's drought, which hit the entire country.
