Weeks N°: 47/09 - 48/09- 49/09- 50/09- 51/09- 52/09- 53/09- 01/10- 02/10- 03/10- 04/10- 05/10- 06/10- 08/10

LITCHI LETTER- Week N°08/2010 - 22 to 26 february 2010

French version

Price in Euros per kg - (b) : on stem/fresh ; (s) : +SO2 (Indicative and average price given by operators most representative of the industry for fruits of satisfactory quality)

SUMMARY OF ARRIVALS BY SEA
(In pallets)

Litchis from Madagascar :
Litchis of standard quality	Litchis of average quality. Not so attractive in colour.

GENERAL INFORMATION

The marketing of litchis from Madagascar ended this week with the settlement of the last lots available. Sales concerning the remaining litchis from this origin depend on the quality of fruits but they are not really typical of the situation on the market. During the 2009/2010 season, Madagascar will have shipped about 19 750 tons of litchis towards the European markets, of which 400 tons were air freighted and the rest sea freighted. The global amount of fruit shipped is in decline compared to the previous campaign where 23 500 tons of fruits were sent to Europe. This drop in volumes must not be perceived as a fallback of Madagascar’s exports but as a desire to better adapt exported volumes to the absorption capacities of the different European markets during these time of international economic crisis. This strategy seems to have been efficient during the end of the year celebrations even if the market conditions during January and February were different from what operators had expected. If the first results of the campaign seem mixed, they nevertheless show without ambiguity that the drop of exports has something to do with the improvement of market conditions for fruits from Madagascar. This trend should be taken into account for the coming marketing campaigns as well as trying to improve fruit quality. The European market continues to receive Red Mc Lean supplies from South Africa. These fruits that face no competition are sold at various prices depending on their quality.

Estimate of incoming volumes
(in tons) 

EUROPEAN MARKETS

Germany : End of the marketing campaign for litchis with the last lots that were sold at open prices depending on the quality of fruits.

Belgium : Slight improvement of prices for the weak volumes of South African litchis available on the market.

Spain : End of the marketing campaign.

France : The last sales of litchis from Madagascar were done this week at prices that differed according to quality. The best sales were done around 0.50€-0.80€/kg, but they can hardly account for “typical” of what prices really are considering the strong differences in stocks following resorting of fruits. Sales were also done on the wholesales markets at prices much lower than those indicated above.

Litchis from South Africa presenting more or less developed mould stains.

Italy : End of the marketing campaign.

Netherlands : End of the marketing campaign for litchis with prices that were rather stable for the remaining lots of fruits from Madagascar that were of satisfactory quality. Drop in prices for Red Mc Lean fruits from South Africa.

United Kingdom : Clear deterioration of market conditions for litchis from Madagascar this week. This also indicates that the campaign has come to an end. Fruits were sold on the basis of 0.90€- 1.00€/kg on the wholesale market. Supermarkets have stopped selling fruits from Madagascar. In supermarkets, one can now only find Red Mc Lean fruits from South Africa. The latter of satisfactory quality are sold between 2.50€ and 2.80€/ kg.

Exchange rates (February 2010) :

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