Fresh produce: Italian consumption

Nov 11, 2012

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The research presented by Macfrut - Cesena Fiera compares consumption of fresh and frozen fruit and vegetables between May of 2011 and the same month of 2012. Calculations by Fruitimprese pertaining to foreign trade in certain product type areas show a positive balance of trade.

Decreases in volumes but average values higher for all the most common products: applies, strawberries, bananas, pears, but also fennel, carrots, tomatos and potatos. A mixed bag for retail sales as well, with some standstills for hypermarkets, supermarkets, discount stores and peddlers. This very briefly sums up fresh produce consumption in Italy.

The fruit market
In May 2012 the Italian families which bought fruit were 22,342,000 (-1.8% compared to May 2011), with an absolute penetration of 92.1% (-1.8% p.q.).
Sales volumes amounted to 315,000 tons (-1.4% ) with an average purchase of 14.1 kg, with a decrease of -0.4%. The value of total purchases of fruit was 526.1 million Euros, that means an increase of +1.6%.
The average price increased by 3%, reaching 1.67 €/kg.

Distribution In May 2012 the growth of hypermarkets and supermarkets came to a standstill, with a sales percentage of 46.7% in the volume of fruit (-1.5%) and 49.4% of the total value. The second most important distribution channel in this sector is the stall/ the local market, whose value decreased compared to 2011 (19.6%, that means a decrease of -5.8%) and with a decrease in volume, 21.7%, that means a decrease of -1.4%. The grocery store experienced an increase in volume (with 17.1%, +0.6%), and in value, reaching 15.5% (+1.2%). Finally, discount stores kept growing both in volume (+16.2%) and in value (+12.7%), consolidating their 8.6% rate in volume and 8% rate in value.

The fresh vegetable market
In May 2012 the Italian families which bought vegetables were 22,838,000, with an absolute penetration of 94.2% (-1.5 p.q compared to May 2011).
Sales volumes were 334,500 tons (+0.2%), and the average purchase rate increased by 1.8%, amounting to 14.6 kg (+1.8%). The value was 664.9 million euros, with an increase of +5%. The average price increased by 4.8%, reaching 1.99 €/kg.

Distribution The channel of hypermarkets and supermarkets experienced an increase in volume, compared to May 2011: +1.1% (reaching 45.3% of the total purchases) and in value, +4.1% (more than the half, 50.3%). The channel stall/ local market recorded a significant decrease both in volume (-7.1%, going down to 23.7% of the total) and in value (-9.2%, with 20.8% of the total). The grocery marketexperienced a decrease both in volume (-3.6%, reaching 15.9% of the purchasing volumes) and in value (-4.6%, 14.4% of the total).
Finally, discount stores grew both in volume (+21.5%, 9.6% of the total purchasing volumes) and in value (+8.3%, reaching 9.1% of the purchases of families).

Deep-frozen vegetable market
In May 2012 there was a slight increase in the consumption of deep-frozen vegetables, compared to the same month of 2011, reaching a total of 18,815 tons (+0.3% compared to May 2011). Absolute penetration was at 46.1%, which is equivalent to 11,179,000 families, with a slight decrease (-2.8). The average purchase was worth 1.683 kg, and grew by 6.3% compared to 2011.
The value remained stable, a little more than 57 million Euros (+0.1%) and the average sales price went down to 3.03 €/ Kg (-0.2% compared to May 2011).

Distribution Hypermarkets and supermarkets reached a rate of 67.6% in volume (+0.9% compared to 2011) and 69.1% in value, with an increase of 4.2%.
Discount stores rank second in the distribution of this category of products.
The volume distribution rate grew by 4% (reaching 18.4% of the total) and the value rate grew by 7.1%, reaching 13.5% of the purchases.
Other stores showed a volume share of 5.6% (-3.4%) and a value share of 8.3% (-19.4%).
Finally, as for self-service shops, the volume share was 6.1% of the purchases (+ 19.6% compared to 2011) and the value share was 6.8% (+9.7%).

Macfrut 2012, a look at the global fresh produce sector
The presence of participants from abroad marked the 29th Macfrut (Cesena, September 26th-28th), with observations and business proposals for fruit&vegetables in Italy and abroad.
Of the former, observations, what emerged was first of all an easing of the pressures on the industry. In terms of proposals, these included a greater effort to export, but a collective one.

The twenty-ninth Macfrut supplied positive results both in terms of attendance (exhibitors and visitors) and in terms of the strategies proposed. Proof enough lies in the quality of the Oscars and the presentation of the Fruit, Sport and Wellbeing project, which debuted with an outstanding testimonial by Olympian Josefa Idem.
Once again the show demonstrates its ability to function as a point of reference for the entire international fresh produce industry and furthers the recognition of a land long-since committed to developing production and processing technologies with a focus on wellbeing, sustainability and innovation. A major contribution to the success of Macfrut 2012 was the quality of the encounters offered by various meetings scheduled over the course of the event: many exciting proposals emerged from these, which, in spite of the troubling economic climate, signal the concrete possibility of bringing the sector forward.

In addition to showing novelties in equipment and bringing together foreign and Italian concerns to foster business deals (there were many buyers from a diverse array of countries that engaged in bilateral meetings), the event put forward many solutions and innovations. These included the Falstaff red pear, a new achievement in quality which was awarded the Macfrut Oscar by a vote among visitors and exhibitors.

Among opinions, optimism was recorded, and on the international front, the Enterprise Europe Network was presented.
An important contribution was made by Mario Catania, Italy’s Minister of Agriculture, who was at the event urging a necessary improvement in the quality of the production system in order to overcome its current fragmented structure. These are themes around which the organizers of Cesena Fiera are already planning Macfrut 2013: system, innovation, internationalization and consumption.