Michał Biedrzycki, chief executive officer at Polish topfruit supplier Basstion Fruit, says that his company will mainly be focusing its exports on the EU this season, with volumes expected to come in at least 30 per cent higher despite uncertainty over the impact of recent hailstorms.
Key markets for the company include the Netherlands, Belgium, the UK, Scandinavia and India, but the potential is there to send larger volumes to Asia.
“In my opinion, if Polish producers improve quality we should be able to send bigger volumes to India,” he told Eurofruit. “Markets like Vietnam or China are much more difficult because of the quality and MRL requirements which are completely different to the EU, so orchard production requires a different plant protection programme.”
In terms of promoting Basstion Fruit’s products, Biedrzycki is a firm believer that the fruit itself should do the talking. “We are trying to get noticed on the market but in my opinion the best type of marketing is good quality fruit, in nice packaging, with a guarantee that the goods will be delivered as agreed,” he said.
The family company, run by Biedrzycki, his father Bogdan and nephew Arkadiusz Chrzanowski, supplies high-quality apples and pears to both export and domestic markets, offering continuous delivery throughout the year and earmarking reliability, product quality and fast service as its key traits.
Basstion has its own orchards but also works with other growers to ensure year-round supply.
“We are mainly focused on producing more expensive varieties in the premium quality class, and volumes of these are increasing,” Biedrzycki confirmed. “Our main variety is Royal Gala and its red clones.”
