The Head of Purchasing for Westfalia Fruit in Central Europe spoke with Avobook from the Netherlands, explaining that the market in that continent continues to demand more fruit, even when prices are high, as happened in 2024.

Annabel Könst has over 17 years of experience in the European fruit market. She specializes in purchasing avocados from various origins and is one of the most knowledgeable professionals in this field, having worked for leading food suppliers. She spent seven years at Nature's Pride and, prior to that, nearly a decade at Levarht. She is currently the Head of Purchasing for Westfalia Fruit in Central Europe, operating from her native Netherlands.

Throughout her career, she has accumulated seven years dedicated to the acquisition of avocados for sale in various European countries. In her new role, she works with fruit from 13 different origins: Chile, Peru, Colombia, Mexico, South Africa, Spain, Morocco, Israel, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, the Dominican Republic, and Brazil.

The destinations for this fruit are throughout Central Europe, including countries such as the Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Poland, northern France, and eastern England.

In this conversation with Avobook, Annabel Könst explains that this year has been more challenging for avocado marketing in Europe, due to lower fruit availability compared to the previous season. However, prices are attractive.

“It has been a difficult year, with less volume available from Peru in April, May, and June. This year hasn't been very spectacular in terms of sales, but the market remains active. So, we've seen a decrease in consumption in Europe during those months, but prices have been higher than last year. Prices are improving across the board. The price increase, at the very least, was 25% compared to 2023, and in some months it was even higher, reaching 50% better,” he explains.

- What does the outlook for avocado sales in Europe look like at the end of 2024?

“Now, we’re seeing prices go down because there’s more fruit on the market from various sources. Sales aren’t very spectacular because Europe tends to be more frugal with spending at this time of year due to December expenses. Sales usually pick up around Christmas time, but January is a spectacular month for both sales and prices.”

- How do you see the behavior of the different origins that export avocados to Europe and their projections for the future?

“For Chile, Europe is no longer very attractive at the moment. Even with high prices, they are receiving better prices in the Chilean market. It's difficult to compete with that. We are seeing more fruit staying in the domestic market. In Colombia, there are many new farms and young orchards, and they will be able to receive more kilos in the coming years. We are expecting peak export volumes from that country in the coming years. Peru remains the most important, but they are moving fruit in more directions, supplying Asia, the United States, and Chile. Their exports will be more controlled, so as not to concentrate everything in the same destination. Morocco is one of the most important supplier countries in Europe and is very attractive in terms of prices, even more so than Spanish fruit. With Moroccan fruit, we have more options to offer the market. Kenya is very difficult due to the very long transit times, which makes importing their fruit to this continent very complex. This is not the case with South Africa, which is always very important, and there are many young orchards, which will give continuity and growth in the coming years. Mexico is very small for the European market. In recent years, there have been quality problems, and importers are not taking advantage of it.” "prefer."

Will it still be good business for farmers and exporters to make efforts to send their fruit to Europe?

“Yes. There will always be sales opportunities in Europe. There are many possibilities on the continent in general. In that sense, it will be very important to design actions and carry out promotion to increase consumption.”

- How much is avocado consumption growing in Europe and which countries are growing the most?

“Growth in countries like France and Norway is significant. Although all countries are gradually increasing consumption. For example, in the Danish and Swedish markets, we have a penetration rate of over 60%. In the Netherlands and Germany, we are slightly below 40%. But we are growing. How much? It depends on each country. But we are clear that we need to grow at least 10% on average to further consolidate our position in the European market.”

- Which fruit size has the best growth projections in Europe?

“We are currently selling different sizes: 12 to 16; 18 to 22 (medium) and 24 to 26; and small sizes from 28 to 32. At the moment, the smaller sizes are selling best. In January and February, we'll be focusing on other markets, and that will change. We're aiming for increased sales of sizes 12 to 16 during the European summer, from June to August; and we're seeing more sales of sizes 20 to 22 in the other months. Sizes 20 and 22 are always available. For customers, these are better suited for use in their programs. From a grower's perspective, sizes 16 and 18 are always attractive because there's always a market for them.”

- For those considering exporting or expanding their business with European clients, what is more important in this market? Price or quality?

“Definitely, quality. For example, prices weren't very attractive for promotions, but customers kept demanding fruit. That's why fruit quality is paramount, especially if we want to increase fruit consumption. The only way to grow in Europe is with good fruit, because if a consumer buys poor-quality fruit, they won't buy it again in the following months. That's why it's so important to have high-quality avocados, to ensure a much faster return on investment.”