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Biobest: local production in America and China

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Shortly after its foundation in 1987, Biobest became the first company in the world to produce and sell bumblebees for biological pollination. Since then, Biobest has also become a leader in biological pest control in agriculture.

As people prefer native bumblebee species, Biobest recently established a production unit in Argentina of Bombus atratus, a native South American species. Also in North America, Biobest started to multiply Bombus huntii for outdoor use in British Columbia. This is mainly used for pollinating blueberries, and opens up new opportunities for other crops such as apples and pears.

Biobest has also just opened a production centre for Bombus terrestris in China, too. “We have a global approach in providing pollination and biocontrol solutions,” affirms Herman van Mellaert, head of Business Development at Biobest. Today, the group supplies all of Europe, most of the Americas, the Middle East, East Asia, and Caucasia (Kazakhstan). It is directly established with Biobest divisions in Holland, France, Spain, Morocco, Turkey, Mexico, the US and Canada, for example. In Western Canada, it recently acquired its distributor. “We have significantly extended our direct network and today have the capacity to offer tailor-made solutions for growers in the five continents,” states Mellaert.

Indeed, Biobest delivers its products in 63 countries and has 14 subsidiaries in 13 countries. China, Columbia and Israel are the latest countries where Biobest is directly represented. Biobest also continues to innovate in the concept of biocontrol, successfully launching Nutrimite in 2013. This is the first nutrition solution for predatory mites like swirskii, degenerans and Euseius. “It is advisable to introduce a predatory mite when there is no pest yet, so the predator can develop and reproduce in order to build a strong population ready to attack the pest when it appears,” explains Mellaert. This approach was really embraced very effectively by cucumber growers and is gaining ground in different crops.

Biobest also sees development in the ornamental sector, which is generally even stricter about the presence of pests, in particular with roses, gerbera and potted plants. Biobest today supplies a complete range of biocontrol solutions for vegetables and flower growers. Dyna-Mite® (Euseius) is the newest mite, introduced in 2014 against thrips and spidermite. It is especially successful in crops where the swirskii is not so “content”, like roses.

“Flying Doctors” is another “groundbreaking” concept launched by Biobest a year ago, using the bumblebee to transmit microorganisms as biopesticides. Bumblebees are also used efficiently to apply pollen powder to improve the pollination of kiwis. The result is higher productivity and larger fruit (with more seed). Gliocladium is the first approved biopesticide application with Flying Doctors, effective against Botrytis in strawberries. “It has already been approved in Belgium for a while and we expect it to extend to Holland and France.”

Worldwide, the group employs 434 people and has consolidated a turnover of more than 40 million euros, of which 95% are from exports. The company was one of the nominees for the ‘Leeuw van de Export’ award in 2014, a contest organized annually by Flanders Investment & Trade to recognise companies that do exceptionally well in exports.

PE

 

This article originally appeared on page 14 of edition 136 of Eurofresh Distribution magazine.
 

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Chilean fruit exports back in full bloom

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Chile’s most exported product worldwide will be table grapes, followed by apples, whilst there were strong increases in the exports of cherries and blueberries.

Last season 2013-2014, the central valleys of Chile suffered the worst frosts in the last 50 years, causing a significant decrease of around 11% in the country’s exports worldwide. The most affected products were kiwifruit (-48,5%); table grape (-15,1%)and blueberries (-14,5%), generating a loss of US$540 millions in export revenues. The port strikes, on the other hand, affected the flow of fruits and the distribution to external markets, plus effects on Chile’s image as a supplier. But, things are looking brighter this period for Chilean fruit exporters and growers.

Optimism for the coming season

Fruits from Chile expects optimal conditions for Chilean fruit export and harvest a positive increase for 2014- 2015. Authorities of the Chilean Fruit Exporters Association (ASOEX), the Chilean Fruit Growers Federation (Fedefruta) and industry related committees, informed that Chile’s most exported product worldwide will be table grapes, followed by apples, whilst there were strong increases in the exports of cherries and blueberries. The difficulties of last season are overcome. In fact new markets are being prospected, existing markets strengthened and the climatic condition of this season are promising. Due to improved technologies, the introduction of more productive varieties, the high exchange rate and the considerable commitment of the industry´s workforce, Chile stands as the Southern Hemisphere’s largest shipper of fruit products. In addition, Chile benefits from particularly fertile soil, the sequential and contrasting seasonal harvests and its natural borders that protect the country from all kinds of pests and diseases. Furthermore Chile is according to the Global Food Security Index 2014 the leading country in Latin America when it comes to the quality of food produced.

Export outlook

Despite the devaluation of the ruble in Russia and the ban on imports from EU Member States and a higher Stocks of apples in Europe and the US, that may affect the Chilean Season, chileans have a good view of the near future. Carlos Cruzat, of Chilean Kiwi committee says: “We expect a recovery of the quantity for kiwi exports in the actual season. We are committed to undertaking a diverse range of programs to strengthen the position of Chilean kiwifruit in the international market place. We are focused on implementing and promoting the ripening of our fruits to be distributed ‘ready to eat’”. In regards to the other chilean fruits, in general, there is a positive perspective. An estimated export volumen of 800,000 tons of apples and 138,000 tons of pears is expected for this season 2015-16. Which, in the case of apples, is similar to the volumes exported last season, whilst for pears there is an expected 19% increase in volumen in regards to last season. At the end of the past export season of fresh chilean cherries, more than 100,000 tons would have been exported, with an increase of 45% in exports in comparison to the previous season, despite initial challenges caused by rainfall during the spring period. About 75% of the cherry harvest is shipped to Asia. Future forecasts predict that by 2016-17, cherries export volumes could surpass the 120.000 tones. Chilean blueberries are expecting to grow about 15% more in comparison to the last season 2013/14, and both main market, UE and Asian, growing in demand. Chilean citrus are maintaining a good quality and growing on exports with 67% exported to USA, 14% to Asia and 6% to Europe. The aim is to increase the citrus exports to the UE. 

From page 12 of edition 137 of Eurofresh Distribution magazine

Photo from the modern Santiago de Chile with the Andes Mountains as a background by Patrick Coe, Richmond, USA [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

 

 

 

 

 

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Jim Prevor’s take on Fruit Logistica Berlin 2015

Jim Prevor 2 - Edited

Interview with the Perishable Pundit Jim Prevor, founder of London Produce Show and editor-in-chief of Produce Business Magazine, at the show’s booth at Fruit Logistica in Berlin, February 2015

How has your experience been at Fruit Logistica?
This is our first time exhibiting at Fruit Logistica on behalf of London Produce Show and we intentionally chose to be part of the Great Britain booth because of our iconic city location in London and it’s really been wonderful. Many people who were at the London show last year stopped by to tell us how much they enjoyed the event and many who had never heard of it were learning about it and showing interest in attending or exhibiting or somehow being part of it.

How is it different to such events in the United States?
It’s such an interesting experience for an American. The booths here are filled with hospitality, it’s ‘have some food, have a drink, sit down’. That’s very different to the United States exhibiting culture which is more strictly business – ‘here’s our product, here’s our service’ – and there’s usually scarcely a bar to be found!

Have you picked up any ideas from Fruit Logistica?
I find that when Americans come to this show the first thing they do is they are really excited about all the produce because we don’t get fruit and vegetables from many of the countries that exhibit here so everyone gets very excited and then quickly learns most of that fruit and vegetable is not even enterable into the US for phytosanitary or political reasons and so quickly you shift and start looking particularly at the packaging and the branding.

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What stands out in terms of the packaging at Fruit Logistica?
The packaging is increasingly consumer-oriented and there are many packages for smaller families or individuals, as opposed to larger packages, and that’s a trend that’s well in line with demographic trends so I find it intriguing.

How is that different to what’s happening in the US?
Most produce in the States is still sold in bulk, of farm stand style. There is produce packaging – bagged salads and increasingly they’ll have clamshells for grapes and things like that – but the vast majority of the department is still loose and fresh and there’s something beautiful about that. I think that farm stand culture is really very nice but there’s also a lot of practical reasons why packaging can be useful, can increase sales and so forth, so I pay careful attention to that.

 

London Produce Show

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Country Profile: Portugal

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The Portuguese fresh produce sector (including plants and flowers) accounts for 33% o Portuguese agricultural production and 61% of plant production and is worth around €2.23 billion (INE, 2013). The most dynamic subsectors are those of the Rocha pear, citrus, kiwi and fresh tomatoes.

The Rocha pear is exported worldwide and is the flagship of the Portuguese fresh produce sector with more than 70% of all Portuguese pears being exported. Farmers have been investing in new orchards in recent years, hoping to boost production from 210,000 tons (in 2014) to 350,000 tons (in 2020).

Another fruit which is doing very well in Portugal is the kiwi which has doubled production over the last decade and is estimated to increase to 40,000 in the next five years due to the number of new orchards planted in recent years and the increase in yield. Citrus accounts for the largest percentage of fruit production in Portugal (236,800 tons in 2013) and, in the last decade, exports (oranges) have grown from zero to 100,737 tons (2012, worth €54.3M), half of the country’s production.

Exports

Exports of fruit, vegetables and flowers account for 21% of agrifood exports from Portugal and have more than tripled since 2000 (€299M) to 2014 (€996M, January to November). The value of fresh fruit exports increased by €306M between 2000 and 2014, accounting for €439M last year. The value of fresh vegetable exports is lower and grew at a slower rate, from 2000 to 2014, it rose €145M, totalling €214M last year.

Spain is by far the biggest importer of Portuguese fresh produce (€213M, in 2014), followed at a distance by France (€88M), The Netherlands (€74M) and the UK (€51M). Belgium, Poland, Brazil, Angola, Italy, Germany and Czech Republic are also in the top 10. Last February, Portugal was in the spotlight of the fresh produce world as the official partner country at Fruit Logistica, in Berlin. Several dozen Portuguese companies exhibited their products hoping to attract new clients.

Portugal relies on the flavour, aroma and colour of its fruit and vegetables and its capacity to produce early crops in the open air (some available all year), thanks to a mild climate, and, most of all, the country has a good image abroad, one still very much linked to nature and environmentally friendly production methods. Portugal Fresh, the association responsible for promoting the fresh produce sector, has set a goal for Portugal to reach exports of €2 billion by 2020.

Meanwhile, Portugal is working to overcome phytosanitary barriers and increase its number of export certifications. Negotiations are in place with 15 different countries: Brazil (table grapes, citrus and nectarines), China and Costa Rica (table grapes, pears, apples, citrus and kiwi), South Africa (strawberries, pears and apples), Japan (cherries), Mexico, Chile, Venezuela, Panam, USA, India, Indonesia and Taiwan (pears and apples), Colombia (pears, plums, peaches, oranges, kiwis and apples) and Canada (plums).

„ NS

This is part of an article which appeared on page 22 of edition 136 of Eurofresh Distribution magazine. Read the full article and much more here.

 

 

 

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Debate next week over blood orange & other fresh produce package labelling

Differing views between Italy, the US and Spain on terms used for labelling citrus fruit packages are among topics to be discussed at a United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) meeting in Geneva next week.

Differing views between the US, Spain and Italy on terms used for labelling citrus fruit packages are among topics to be discussed at a United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) meeting in Geneva next week.

The US has advised it is “deeply concerned” that proposed changes could mean its quality inspectors are asked “to validate species, varieties and/or their hybrids – something they are not trained or equipped to do.”

In regard to the labelling of packages containing a mixture of citrus fruit of different species, a working group has proposed  the name of the variety or variety group – for example: “Navels”, “Valencias”, “Sanguinelli”, “Tarocco”, etc. – be required.

Among its comments on proposed changes, Spain said it would prefer to label the name of the variety as under the current standard but could accept the name of the variety group for oranges as an option. Spain proposes adding more examples “to make it clear that there are two options of marking: variety or variety group.” It proposed the following label options: “Navelina” or “Navels”, “Valencia delta seedless” or “Valencias”, “Sanguinelli” or “Blood oranges”, “Tarocco” or ”Blood oranges”, etc.

Meanwhile among its comments, Italy said the indication “Blood oranges” as a variety group could create a misunderstanding. “Please note that for us “Tarocco” and “Sanguinello” are variety groups,” it said.

The discussion about changes is part of a plan to make labelling of citrus fruit packages unambiguous and easy to follow. This would involve changes the UNECE Standard for Citrus Fruit. The issue is on the agenda for the sixty-third session of the Specialized Section on Standardization of Fresh Fruit and Vegetables (GE.1) to be held April 21-24.

Also up for consideration are a draft Standard for Lambs Lettuce and an explanatory brochure and Standard for Persimmons.

And among other revisions to UNECE standards to be discussed are:

  • Apples: relating to the structure of the List of Varieties taking into consideration the correspondence received from the delegation of the Netherlands and WAPA;
  • Garlic: the Spanish delegation will make proposals on revising the Standard for Garlic to reflect the results of the OECD work on an explanatory brochure for this product;
  • Watermelons: the Specialized Section will continue its work on revising the Standard for Watermelons;
  • Early and ware potatoes: the Hungarian delegation is expected to provide information supporting its proposals for revising the standard;
  • Tomatoes: delegations will revisit the 2014 post-session text of the tomatoes standard to decide whether to delete “cherry tomatoes” from the commercial types listed in the “Definition of produce” section;
  • Leeks: the Specialized Section may wish to review the Standard for Leeks to take into account the OECD work on an explanatory brochure for this product.

Separately, the delegations of France, Hungary and Poland have requested a discussion on how marking or labelling provisions of the standards could support traceability, and a working group will report on food waste related to the use of standards.

The agenda also says that the Specialized Section will discuss its future work and whether the following standards, last amended in 2010, need to be reviewed in 2016: anonas, artichokes, asparagus, aubergines, avocados, beans, berry fruit, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, carrots, cauliflower, ceps, cherries, cucumbers, courgettes, kiwifruit, peaches and nectarines, peas, ribbed celery, rhubarb, root and tubercle vegetables, strawberries, and table grapes.

Documents for the meeting are available online here: http://www.unece.org/index.php?id=38235#/
Blood Orange image by Eric Hill from Boston, MA, USA [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

 

 

 

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Plan to merge EU milk and fruit in school schemes

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More money and effort must be invested by the EU and its member states in promoting healthy eating and the consumption of local foodstuffs by children, said the European Parliament agriculture and rural development committee on Tuesday.

The agriculture committee endorsed plans to merge two schemes which are currently separate – one providing milk for schoolchildren and the other fruit – and to extend the educational measures already included in the fruit scheme to cover milk as well. According to its press release, it also approved a set of amendments to draft rules on the schemes.

Among measures sought by the committee are that:

  • member states earmark 10% – 20% of the EU funding they receive to educational activities, designed for example to promote healthy eating habits and sustainable production, and including visits to farms and the occasional distribution of local specialities such as processed fruit and vegetables (unless they contain added sugar, fat, salt or sweeteners), honey, olives or dried fruits;
  • an additional €20 million a year be allocated for the measures covering milk, bringing annual funding for milk and milk products up to €100 million, with €150 million for fruit and vegetables;
  • a fairer distribution of EU funds among member countries, by setting two core criteria for the entire scheme (the proportion of six to ten-year-old children in the population and the degree of development of the region within the member state).

As background, the committee noted consumption of fruit, vegetables and milk continues to fall across Europe. Over 20 million children are overweight and adolescents are on average consuming only 30% to 50% of the recommended daily intake of fruit and vegetables.

The amendments endorsed by the Agriculture committee should be scrutinised by the full House during the 27 May plenary session in Brussels.

To find out more, see the press release here. 
Other documents are available here.
 
 
 
 
 
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Profit margins shrinking at Sainsbury’s

Sainsbury’s booked a fall in sales last month for the fifth straight quarter as the UK’s supermarket price war further erodes profit margins.

UK retail giant expects market to remain tough but sees opportunities for expansion in convenience and online groceries businesses

Sainsbury’s booked a fall in sales last month for the fifth straight quarter as the UK’s supermarket price war further erodes profit margins.

Its fourth quarter results – to March 14 – showed total retail sales were down 0.3% (excl. fuel) despite volume growth across the food business.

Third biggest in sales, behind Tesco and Wal-Mart-owned Asda, it is desperate to retain market share amid the rising dominance of German discounters Lidl and Aldi. It is currently investing £150 million (€208m) to cut more than 1,100 prices.

And Sainsbury’s CEO Mike Coupe sees more pain ahead. “We expect the market to remain challenging for the foreseeable future. Food deflation is likely to persist for the rest of this calendar year, and competitive pressures on price will continue,” he said.

But the sales dip wasn’t as bad as some expected and Planet Retail analyst David Gray said Sainsbury’s still has some strengths, “most notably in convenience where it continues to add 1-2 stores per week.” It ended the quarter with 597 supermarket and 707 convenience outlets.

Coupe said its strong focus on developing its multi-channel offer will help Sainsbury’s outperform its supermarket peers.

Growth in convenience and online

Coupe highlighted that growth in Sainsbury’s convenience business remains strong, at 14%, and order numbers in its 18-year-old online groceries business rose at the same rate, as customers increasingly use convenience and online channels. The online business generates annual sales of £1 billion – 5% of overall turnover – and online deliveries exceed 200,000 a week. In March it opened its first Click and Collect site and by the end of the year plans to have 100.

2020 targets include sourcing more British produce

Among a range of pledges to achieve by the year 2020, Sainsbury’s says it will double the amount of British food it sells. This means growing produce locally that would usually be sourced from abroad and demands research and development. There’s already been success with its biggest selling summer product – strawberries. Last season it sold more than 17 million punnets of British ones.

Extending the UK strawberry season

Coupe said in November that not long ago the UK season lasted 10 weeks. “Now there’s only 10 weeks of the year when you can’t get UK strawberries.” Describing the fruit as “a very emotionally engaging product,” Coupe said key factors were supplementary LED lighting, creation of exclusive varieties – 13,000 plants were crossed to get one that bears fruit from May to November – as well as intellectual property protection and one-on-one supplier relationships.

“One of the things we have changed…is making sure we’ve got our arms around the supply chains that really count in our business. And they are in…the added value fresh food areas.” Coupe said strawberries are a good example.

The fruit is now grown from Scotland to Kent and picked, packed and in-store in under 24 hours. Sainsbury’s says its strawberries consistently win taste panels. Buddy, Jubilee and Windsor are among the UK varieties it sells.

mike_coupe_in_store.jpgSainsbury’s CEO Mike Coupe

 Other British-grown produce

  • Apples: Sainsbury’s claims to sell one in four apples in the UK – meaning more than 38,000 tons – during the British apple season. It stocks 59 varieties of UK-grown apples.
  • Organic brassicas: Sainsbury’s has been unable to supply enough organic brassicas to meet demand. It said in December conventional brassicas are notoriously difficult to grow for retail and organic brassicas even more so, leading to periods of poor or even nil availability. Norfolk and Lincolnshire-based organic vegetable grower Taylorgrown was named its ‘Supplier of the Year’ for extending its repertoire into organic brassicas and organic brown onions.
  • Tomatoes: In November, Sainsbury’s announced its use of LED lights to extend the British season.
  • Asparagus: Sainsbury’s says it has stocked 100% British asparagus since May 2012.
  • Figs: In August 2013, Sainsbury’s said it was the first major supermarket to cultivate and sell fresh figs grown in Britain rather than more traditional, warmer climate sources such as Spain, Turkey and California.
  • Top fruit: Finding packaging that looks good, increases volume and helps maintain top fruit quality is the focus of a Big Data project the company is backing.
  • Pears: Sainsbury’s stocks at least 10 home-grown pear varieties and says it sells a third of all British pears bought in the UK – more than “45 million British pears during the season” – and is “the market leader of British conference pears”.

This article originally appeared on page 20 of edition 136 of Eurofresh Distribution magazine, available to read free online here.

 

 

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Mercadona grows its fresh product market share by 5%

Turnover for family-owned supermarket chain Mercadona – by far the leader in Spain’s grocery market – rose 2% last year to reach €20.16 billion, its annual report shows.

Turnover for family-owned supermarket chain Mercadona – by far the leader in Spain’s grocery market – rose 2% last year to reach €20.16 billion, its annual report shows.

And net profit for the Valencia-based company – which by the end of 2014 had a network of 1,521 stores – stood at €543 million, up 5% on 2013.

Announcing the results last month, CEO Juan Roig said they were, without a doubt, due to the hard work of Mercadona’s 74,000 workers, 120 integrated suppliers, and the primary sector serving its sustainable agri-food chain.

Fresh local products

In the report, Mercadona highlighted its commitment to using “raw materials of Spanish origin whenever viable” and its new system for managing the selection of fresh products, which was initiated in 2011 to strengthen local economies and promote Spanish agricultural products. In this context, it said in 2014, Spanish products it purchased included:

  • Summer strawberries: 20 tons from Segovia
  • Artichokes: 190 tons from Tudela
  • Cherries: 4,000 tons from Extremadura, Aragon and Alicante
  • Oranges & tangerines: over 130,000 tons (+15%)
  • Potatoes: 80% of total were Spanish, amounting to 100,000 tons from Murcia, Seville, Huelva, Albacete & Castilla y Leon
  • Grapes: 210 tons from Cadiz and Seville

5% growth in new fresh sections

Under its new fresh products sales models, by the end of 2014, all Mercadona supermarkets had implemented new bakery sections and locally-sourced fruit and vegetable sections.

Mercadona said the new model had allowed for the strengthening of local economies, as well as boosting locally sourced products, which were “well accepted by clients.” It had also helped increase its fresh product market share by 5%.

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Commitments for 2015: 60 new supermarkets

In 2015, Mercadona plans to invest approximately €650 million, destined mainly towards the opening of 60 new stores, the refurbishment of a further 30, continuing the building of the logistics block in Abrera (Barcelona), and the start of a new logistics block in Vitoria-Gasteiz.

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Caspopdona: Mercadona’s sustainable food chain project

Introduced in 2010, the Caspopdona project is intended to develop Mercadona’s Sustainable Agri-Food Chain. Specific applications under this initiative include:

El Perelló Cooperative: The integrated supplier-manufacturer Pinchos Jovi has reached an agreement with this cooperative for sowing whole fields of peppers on summer, which it then uses to make its brochettes. In return for the agreed volumes and quality, Pinchos Jovi guarantees fixed prices and stability, which has enabled the El Perelló Cooperative (Valencia) to plant 5,600 hectares of green peppers, 3,600 of its own and 2,000 belonging to the Viver cooperative, amounting to the production of approximately 140,000 kilos of green peppers in Valencian fields.

Dafran&Darzoves: Mercadona has signed a contract with this tomato-producing company based in Almeria, which supplies it with 140,000 kilos of tomatoes per week. The agreement reached in 2014 has enabled this company to increase its turnover by 50%, by keeping its facilities operating throughout the year, and to employ twice as many people, with as many as 250 employees.

Logistics: intelligent warehouses

Mercadona’s logistics network now covers a total area of over 847,000 sqm. Nearly a decade ago, the company decided to innovate in its logistics network by developing and introducing totally automated intelligent warehouses, which eliminate “handling or overstrain by employees, helping to prevent and reduce the risk of industrial accidents, as well as increasing productivity and efficiency.”

Mercadona now has three such intelligent warehouses – in Ciempozuelos (Madrid), Riba-roja de Turia (Valencia) and Villadangos del Paramo (Leon) – and construction of a fourth, in Abrera (Barcelona), is due to be completed in 2017.

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Automated storage and preparation of pallets

In 2013 the company also installed the so-called PPG (Picking Puente Grua) automated gantry crane in its logistics block at Guadix (Granada), a system for automated storage and preparation of pallets of meat, fruit and vegetables in which it invested €5 million.

Read the annual report here.

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How to avoid chilling injury to mangos: to be covered in May webinar

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The crucial mango topic of proper temperature management will be under the spotlight in a free mango quality webinar being hosted by America’s National Mango Board (NMB) on Thursday, May 7.

With chilling injury one of the most common problems found in mangos at retail level in the US, proper mango temperature management is extremely important, the NMB said in a press release regardin gthe webinar. Chilling injury can interfere in the mango ripening process, resulting in a flavourless and unappealing fruit with a reduced postharvest life, it said.

During the webinar, Dr. Jeffrey Brecht, from the University of Florida, will share best practices for reducing and preventing chilling injury to mangos in warehouses, distribution centers and stores. information on safe chilling threshold temperatures for different varieties and maturities of mangos and emphasis on the importance of temperature when ripening mangos at different distribution facilities/warehouses and stores, will be provided.

‘Exciting’ trends in fresh-cut mango sales also on the agenda

The webinar will also include a wealth of mango category information and consumer research with insights into consumer preferences and barriers to mango purchase.

Insights into how the mango category is growing at retail level will be provided by NMB retail program manager Wendy McManus, who will discuss data that can help the mango industry understand the short and long-term trends in mango movement, including exciting trends in fresh-cut mango sales.

Lastly, there will be a focus on the strongest mango per capita markets and sub-regions, and which markets represent the greatest opportunities.   

“This webinar will focus on the opportunities that exist when proper temperature management is implemented throughout the mango supply chain, as well as highlight valuable mango category development information for the industry,” NMB Executive Director Manuel Michel said.

Mango importers, wholesalers and brokers, retail distribution centers, quality assurance experts, buyers, category managers and merchandisers are encouraged to attend.

Click here to register for the free webinar

National Mango Board website.

 

 

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Big ad spends help Aldi, Lidl grab more of UK market

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German discounters Aldi and Lidl now hold an 11% slice of UK grocery sales.

According to Nielsen figures for the 12 weeks to March 28, Aldi’s sales grew 17.9% year-on-year, to reach a 6.2% share of the grocery market, and Lidl’s sales rose 10.8%, for a 4.9% share – cementing their positions as the UK’s 5th and 7th biggest supermarkets, respectively.

Lidl biggest spender on TV & press ads

In the four weeks to March 28, Lidl spent the most on TV and press advertising (£5.9 million) – up 160%  on the same period last year – followed by Asda (£4.0 million) and Aldi (£3.5 million).

“Aldi and Lidl have become the fifth and seventh biggest supermarkets partly due to their large ongoing investment in advertising. Not only do they consistently spend the most in relation to each percentage of market share they hold, their advertising has changed the perceptions and expectations of UK shoppers,” Nielsen’s UK head of retailer and business insight Mike Watkins said.

Bad month for the Big Four

Over the same period, all of the big four supermarkets saw a decline in year-on-year grocery sales. Asda’s slipped 1.7%, Tesco’s 1.1% and Sainsbury’s and Morrisons 0.6% each.

However, Tesco remained in top ranking, with a share of 27.5%, followed by Sainsbury’s with 16%, Asda with 15.7% and Morrisons with 10.7%.

Outlook for next 3 months more positive

Watkins said the current trading environment is challenging for the supermarkets. “…people (are) spending less on groceries than they used to.”

“Consumer spend continues to be impacted by a combination of record-low food inflation and supermarkets’ competitive pricing policies – good news for shoppers but not retailers, whose margins are continually under pressure. However, the outlook for the next three months is more positive than we’ve seen for some considerable time,” he said.

Read the Nielsen press release.
image source