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Mid-November, procurement managers Joep and Koen have been visiting a couple of our Nature & More growers in Peru, together with Gert-Jan from our QA department. The main goals of those meetings are to meet our growers in real life again and cherish the long-standing business relationships. Together they have been visiting the orchards, in order to see and discuss how the organic products like mango, pomegranate and grapes grow towards the upcoming season. We thought it would be interesting to share some insights and ask Joep some questions about the trip.
N&M: Joep, maybe not everyone knows you already, as you are a new member of the Eosta family. Maybe nice to shortly introduce yourself?
Joep: Hi, my name is Joep van Koevorden, working for Eosta since September. Happy to join this family that is eager to fight for a more sustainable and transparent world. As a procurement manager, I am responsible for buying your organic Mangos and other tropical delights.
N&M: You have been to Peru, can you tell us something about the upcoming Mango season?
Joep: The Peruvian Mango season always starts in the Northern part of Peru, this connects to the Ecuador season. This week we will be receiving our first Kent mangos by boat. In a few weeks, we wil be receiving the first fruit of our Nature & More grower Jan Bernard, with whom we have a yearlong relationship. The upcoming harvest is looking good, the estimation of our growers is that there will be approximately 10-15% more yield compared to last season. The majority of the crop will be a perfect fit for the European markey, 8-9-10-12. Regarding the Ataulfo mango from Ecuador, the season continues until mid-January for now, after that we will switch to the countries of origin Peru and Mexico.
N&M: What about the pomegranates from our Nature & More grower Jan?
Joep: Jan will also harvest pomegranates Mid-January, variety ‘Wonderful’. The product looks very nice though the harvest will be a bit less compared to last year. Most probably due to a period of relatively unusual cold weather at night with temperatures as low as 12 degrees. Week 3-4 2023 the ship will leave the harbor towards Europe. So be on time, contact your Eosta Accountmanager and order your organic pomegranate already.
N&M: I Heard something about numerous birds in the orchards, can you explain?
Joep: That is nice to tell. Our grower Jan is really happy to have around 65 different species of birds in his orchards, as a result of the balanced biodiversity. However, the birds are not allowed to snack on all the mangos and grapes. Therefore a drummer walks into the orchards and plays a melody in order to chase away the birds. This melody changes after a couple of days otherwise the birds get used to it and will no longer be scared.
N&M: Did you also visit other N&M growers?
We have also been visiting other growers of grapes, pomegranates and mango who are very enthusiastic about the diversity of plants that are growing underneath the grapevines. This helps to defend the insects that are not welcome on the grapes. There is a lot of development on the farms itself regarding organic farming like breeding insects (parasitic wasps, hover flies and lacewings) that are employed as natural enemies and there even is a whole unit with worms that produce compost for the very important healthy soil. So good to see these high-impact projects emerging from our pioneering growers!
N&M: other nice to knows?
Joep: several of our growers have invested in new cold storage and packing facilities close to their orchards. which has a positive impact on the quality of the fruit.
N&M: What can our customers expect from Eosta when it comes to these products?
Joep: Good healthy fruit, coming from reliable suppliers of course. Suppliers with a focus that goes way beyond the traditional way of farming organic.
N&M: What about packaging?
Joep: All our products can be packed according to client specific packaging. For Mango and Pomegranates our Natural Branding technique suits very well!
The overseas grape season starts in mid-December, but planning begins now. Demand for organic grapes remains strong and our growers need early visibility on the volumes they can reserve for fixed programmes. By aligning programmes in advance, we can secure organic volumes more effectively and are also in a stronger position to offer competitive pricing.
Along the Orange River in South Africa’s Northern Cape lies Carpe Diem, a long-standing and trusted partner for our organic grapes. Owner Gog van der Colff took over the family business in 2000 and made the deliberate decision to switch to organic farming in 2006. What began as a step that not everyone was initially convinced by has developed into a progressive organic farm producing grapes, pecans and raisins.
El Niño is clearly affecting the South American mango season this year. Higher temperatures and unusual rainfall patterns are disrupting flowering, making availability and harvest timing less predictable.
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