It’s been an exciting couple of months since Americafruit Magazine last went to press with expansion and development stories hitting the headlines left, right and centre!
The North American produce business is continuing to thrive and as we approach the traditionally busy summer sales period the region’s global suppliers are responding to growth and reinforcing their competitive edge by tapping into new niches and opportunities.
During the first quarter of 2010, fruit and vegetable purchases showed an upturn in performance, rising by 2.5 per cent in volume terms and 2.3 per cent in value, according to a report from The Perishables Group. Citrus sales alone climbed 10.6 per cent.
Eager to capture a greater share of this expanding market, the South African citrus trade recently clinched an historic sea-rail logistics deal which will see the nation’s geographic footprint step into the western US states for the first time this season.
To further boost fortunes, the Southern Hemisphere nation’s Orange River region will also launch its grapefruit on the US citrus market in 2010, as South Africa’s widening summer citrus offer gains increasing popularity.
In general, US consumers can expect to see an even more diverse spread of imported fruits and vegetables on supermarket shelves in the months ahead as Peru gears up to send its first (albeit small) volume of Hass avocados. The USDA also recently gave the green light to Chilean pomegranates and baby kiwifruit, among other items, which should arrive shortly.
As suppliers seek to sustain this consumer base look out for the plethora of marketing activities due to roll out across the US and Canada during the summer. South Africa and Australia are both coordinating citrus promotions, while Zespri has just announced a fresh marketing direction with plans to throw a spotlight on New Zealand kiwifruit via a mobile merchandising roadshow.
And with many consumers keen to get in shape during the summer, Del Monte’s new ‘Buy A Bunch. Lose A Bunch.’ campaign will be looking to boost banana sales among health-conscious shoppers across the US.
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