Weather conditions have significantly delayed the watermelon campaign this year. "It was still very cold until week 17, with temperatures around 0 degrees. Accordingly, we haven't really started with watermelons yet," reports Sevki Özdemir, Co-Managing Director of EK Service Ltd, based in Duisburg. The wholesale company relies on direct imports of watermelons from Morocco, Spain, and also from Turkey in the second half of the season.

"Due to the optimal weather conditions locally, the Moroccan watermelon harvest started relatively early this year. Initial forecasts indicate overall good yields. Spain has also started harvesting seedless watermelons, which we offer in parallel. However, it must be said that watermelons with seeds of Moroccan origin are much more popular with our buyers. In comparison, the weekly sales of Moroccan goods are up to three times as large as the sales volume of Spanish products," Özdemir elaborates.

EK-Service was established in 2021 and is dedicated to supplying regional supermarkets and gastronomy suppliers in the Duisburg area. Özdemir: "The pandemic has clearly shaped us all, but thanks to the mixed clientele we serve, we have overall come through the crisis well."

Belgian vine tomatoes and cucumbers
In addition to seasonal fruits, another focus of the company is on the marketing of greenhouse vegetables. For instance, bell peppers are sourced from Turkey throughout the year, while cucumbers and tomatoes are sourced from neighboring countries, mainly Belgium or the Netherlands, outside the Turkish season. "We now buy a lot through the Belgian auction, especially cucumbers and vine tomatoes, and we see no major price changes compared to last year," it concludes.

Source - https://www.freshplaza.com