What future for European canned fruit sector?_01.07.2011
Fruit canners inside PROFEL[1] describe the current market situation and economic conditions as very difficult, and several factories fear for their survival – despite a good crop outlook for this season.
The present situation is characterized by:
- reduced availability of competitively priced raw material (as a result of decoupling) and trees being up-rooted;
- rising production costs:
o exceptionally high sugar prices and concerns over sufficient availability
o tin plate price rises during the past 4 years: up to 35% increase
o increase of energy costs
The situation is made worse by the loss of traditional export markets outside the EU to other third country exporters with more favourable market access conditions, and by the steady increase of Chinese canned fruit exports to the EU and to the rest of the world.
For the record:The manufacturers of canned deciduous fruit within PROFEL account for around 95% of the former processing thresholds for canned peaches, pears, mandarins, apricots and fruit mixtures (cocktails) in the main producer countries Greece, Spain, Italy and France. The fruit canning sector provides presently direct jobs to more than 30.000 people, mainly SME in rural areas.
