Home consumption and retail sales are expected to slow down with the current high temperatures. Growers are busy irrigating crops where possible. Queens continue to come onto the market and demand is surprisingly steady even with the weather this week. Old season stock continues to tighten, especially packing quality material.
Across Europe, factories are starting to close down for their annual maintenance programs. Any interest in free buy stocks which has been seen for the last two weeks has disappeared, although “several thousand tonnes” of free buy were moved. There are still free buy stocks in stores which will need moving. Demand for the new crop has been slow while it has been hot but growth rates have also suffered and early plantings are senescing.
