Price hikes in Germany’s fresh produce resulted in a drop in consumer purchases in 2006, according to a report given this week at the opening ceremony of this year’s Fruit Logistica.
Adverse weather and harvesting conditions led to supply shortfalls for fresh fruit, vegetables and especially potatoes on the German market last year and the higher prices from growers were passed on to consumers.
This resulted in significant consumer price increases of around six per cent for fruit and 10 per cent for vegetables leading to an average four per cent reduction in the total volume sold.
However, according to the report’s commissioners, ZMP - Germany’s Central Market and Price Reporting Office for Agricultural, Forest and Food Industry Products - following the market slump in 2004, turnover increased in 2006 for the second year running. And Some 2,500 fresh produce companies in Germany generated annual sales of around E18 billion.
A survey carried out by consumer research organisation GfK found German consumers eat an average 122.5kg of fruit and 85kg of vegetables per year and fruit and vegetables account for nearly 30 per cent of fresh food expenditures.
The research found apples were the most popular fruit, with households purchasing an average 21kg of them annually. Bananas were next, weighing in at 16.3kg, followed by tomatoes (10.4 kg), oranges (9.9 kg), tangerines and other soft citrus (6.3 kg) and grapes (4.9 kg).
Carrots were German consumers’ favourite vegetable, racking up 7.4kg per household per year, followed by cucumbers (6.8 kg), dry onions (6.4 kg) and sweet peppers (4.9 kg).
