Successful sales contracts negotiated at Spain’s Fruit Attraction 2019, one of the most important trade expos in the fruit world, will serve SAFE well as the grape season gets into full swing this season.
“We had successful meetings with our regular buyers and also met a host of new buyers who were happy to hear about what SAFE has to offer,” said Wibo van den Ende, SAFE Sales and Marketing Manager.
Better than average grape sales will be welcomed by SAFE, particularly after a rather difficult grape, citrus and shipping season, which saw high winds off the South African East Coast delaying shipments.
“Fruit Attraction is critically important to us in terms of our penetration into European markets. It is held in Madrid at just the right time for us to sign orders for our grape crop,” said Wibo.
Fruit Attraction is acknowledged globally as one of the most important trade events and attracted more than 68,000 professional visitors. More than 90% of the exhibitors and 95% of visitors are regular attendees which, according to Wibo, is why Fruit Attraction has consolidated its position as one of the most important global trade expos in the fruit trade.
Held in late October, Fruit Attraction is key in the supply and demand cycle for fresh products due in part to its geographical location in Spain. This strategically positions the trade show prominently at the gateway to Europe.
According to Wibo, the fact that SAFE is well established as an ethical, highly certified producer in the eyes of major buyers, and as a supplier that consistently delivers high quality produce, it has helped to build the exporter as a supplier upon which they can rely.
Apart from quality and consistency of product, says Wibo, “buyers demand certification such as Fair Trade – about which I was more than happy to reassure them.” SAFE Northern Cape table grape farm, Nuweland, was granted Fair Trade accreditation in 2016.
Buyers are also attracted by the fact that SAFE grows, harvests and is able to pack gapes directly into client-centric packaging, branding and labelling.
An advantage to SAFE with this season’s harvest of grapes, added Wibo, is that they are able to deliver into the “gap” after Spain, Italy and Brazil have delivered their crop – and into a small gap during the Peru season. “This allows us to deliver our grapes just before Indian producers deliver their predominantly white seedless grapes to the market.”
“Timing is crucial for SAFE,” says Wibo “and in our favour as well is the fact that we are able to deliver the traditional varieties of table grapes that are most favoured by European buyers.”