E.E. & Brian Smith offers a wide range of fruit juices as part of our portfolio. Fruits we specialise includes Lemon, Orange, Lime, Grapefruit, Passionfruit, Pineapple, Strawberry, Raspberry, Blackcurrant, Apricot, Peach to name a few! For a full product list please visit – Ingredients. We will from time to time give updates on the different fruit crops and this month we are going to cover Pineapple, Lemon, and Passionfruit.

  • Pineapple

The crop in Thailand will start shortly. The weather has been hot in Thailand for the last month, and they need rain as the Pineapples are getting burnt and the fruit is much smaller than normal.

Currently demand is low, but prices have increased due to the hot weather. Most buyers are currently covered, and prices look to ease in the peak of the summer crop (May/June). Suppliers work on average fruit costs for the whole season now when pricing is offered. The crop is likely to be 1.1 – 1.2 million tonnes for both the Winter and Summer crop combined.

  • Lemon

In Argentina the 2023 Lemon crop has just started. The crop is expected to be 10-20% down due to the freezing temperatures in September 2022.

The Lemon Concentrate market is over supplied with carry over from 2022. Prices currently being offered are the lowest they have been for 15 years. It will be a challenging time for producers in Argentina, Brazil, and South Africa due to the oversupply and low pricing.

  • Passionfruit

          Ecuador and Peru

It has been a tricky time for Passionfruit due to the cyclone hitting the coasts of Peru and Ecuador. The increased rainfall and low sunlight hours have meant the brix and yield is poor.

In Ecuador the peak period only lasted 3 weeks and this month the Cyclone will affect availability of the fruit. Prices in Ecuador remain strong which has encouraged replanting by growers. Lower prices might be seen in third quarter of 2023, but time will tell.

This year in Ecuador and Peru more plants were planted than 2022 however their yields are lower.

In Peru the new season crop has been delayed with no availability until then however the crop is looking to be an average season yield currently.

          Vietnam

In Vietnam the fresh market is active in China which means less is available for processing. Fruit prices are high, but yields have also been good too which has kept prices level.

Overall, in the global market demand is still strong for Passionfruit and there is hope prices will drop towards the end of the year.