In General

Market conditions remain slow, with a slight pickup towards month-end after salaries were paid.

At the same time, besides continued rising logistics costs across both sea and road freight, the pressure has been further intensified in the Middle East by a sharp rise in regional fuel prices at the start of April—particularly in the UAE—driven by higher global oil prices and ongoing supply disruptions.

Demand is still concentrated on lemons, grapes, peaches, nectarines, and plums, with these categories continuing to perform well with high price levels. In contrast, key commodities such as apples and pears continue to trade at a slower rate.

• Citrus
• Pome
• Grape, Stone & Kiwi Fruit
• India & Bangladesh
• PPECB Statistics

The Middle East market remains slow amid ongoing tensions, which are affecting buyer confidence and overall trading activity.

Demand for oranges and soft citrus is low, while lemons continue to perform well due to limited availability on the market.

Egypt has supplied fewer lemons, contributing to sustained high prices, while South African lemons are almost non-existent due to delays in shipping and packing.

South Africa

Lemon supply is showing gradual improvement as harvesting gains momentum across more regions. However, volumes are still not at full capacity.

Weather conditions in the Northern growing areas are still a factor, with intermittent rainfall continuing to affect harvesting and packing operations in the short term.

Grapes           

Seedless Grapes (Red & Black)
Supply is extremely limited, with the season nearing completion. Prices remain high due to tight availability.

Seeded Grapes
Seeded grapes are almost completely out of the market. Any remaining stock is trading at elevated price levels.

Kiwi      

Iranian kiwi fruit remains available in the Middle East market, with prices holding at high levels.

Stone Fruit

Apricots
The apricot season remains unchanged, with no volumes available in the market.

Plums
The season is effectively finished, with only negligible volumes in circulation. Prices remain firm on any remaining good-quality stock.

India

Apples 

Low colour Flash gala is affecting the selling prices in the market and putting pressure on the fruit that has good colour. More apple arrival are expected each week.

Bangladesh

Market update

Sales of Royal Gala apples, pears, mandarins and grapes are very slow in the market. Currently it can take up to 3 days to clear 1 container, whereas usually it takes 5-6 hours.