MEDELLIN, COLOMBIA – La Dona Fruit – a leading producer and exporter of fresh golden pineapples and tropical fruits in Latin America – announces its readiness to satisfy European demand for MD2 pineapples from Panama this summer, after adapting the business to mitigate the global coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.
As well as renewing its GlobalGAP certification, La Dona has
introduced additional strict hygiene measures to protect workers at its
pineapple farm in La Chorrera, Panama. Where necessary, alternative airfreight
and seafreight capacity has been secured quickly to guarantee the continuity of
exports.
La Dona’s flagship pineapple business in Panama continues to
thrive. Despite the pandemic, fruit quality and export volume remain consistent
thanks to the resilience and adaptability of the workforce and its leaders.
La Dona Fruit’s Director of Pineapple Operations, Paul Vergara,
explains: “Volume has remained pretty steady. We’re exporting over 60 tonnes of
pineapples a week by air and sea to retailers and wholesalers across Europe. In
late March, we made a slight switch to more seafreight when air routes became
temporarily unavailable. Since early May we’re back up to four flights a week.
Air cargo space is limited out of Central America currently, but we’ve worked
hard to negotiate space and rates. Now every KLM flight leaving Panama has some
of our pineapples on board.”
The La Dona brand stands out on the market in Europe and the
United Arab Emirates for its plant-ripened, premium quality, airfreighted
pineapples. As the business expands, the team is evaluating seafreight
technologies that would enable its high-colour, high-maturity pineapples to
arrive in optimum condition by sea.
Vergara reveals: “During the first few weeks of June we will trial
shipping highly-ripened pineapples under different ozone atmosphere conditions
to gauge whether we can switch more airfreight volume to containers.
Nonetheless, we expect airfreight to return to normal by September as the
airlines start to resume routes over the next two to three months.”
On the farm in Panama, La Dona has heightened its hygiene and
security requirements; providing training to its 70+ staff as part of its
Covid-19 mitigation plan. The company is proud to have retained its workforce
throughout the pandemic, and no employees have contracted the disease.
Vergara points out: “We’re taking everyone’s temperatures,
everyone is wearing face masks, we’re stopping to wash hands every two hours,
and we’re documenting anyone coming onto the farm. As of June, working hours
are back up to the full 45 hours a week, after initially reducing to 32 hours
for a period of time to comply with the local lockdown.”
As usual, this year La Dona is offering superior quality
pineapples versus its competitors.
Vergara affirms: “Panama receives enough rainfall and sunlight for
pineapple production to be really effective, and for quality to be better, in
my opinion. By comparison, Costa Rica receives 40 percent more rainfall
annually, so their fruit has a higher water content. Our pineapples contain
less water, yet they still have a high sugar content, which produces more
flavour. We have a bigger quality distinction.”
La Dona supplies golden pineapples year-round. Exports increase by
least 30-40 percent between September and December to satisfy Europe’s
traditional peak in demand.
Vergara comments: “It’s going to be a strange year, and difficult
to predict week by week. Europeans usually consume local produce over the
summer, while pineapple consumption rises again from September onwards. But
anything could happen this summer, especially if some countries do have issues
finding enough workers to pick local fruit. As always, at La Dona we remain
ready to respond to any supply-demand situation in the market.”
In addition to renewing its GlobalGAP certificate, in late
February La Dona’s pineapple farm in Panama achieved HACCP accreditation in
official recognition of its social responsibility efforts. Next, the firm is
exploring other standards, such as Primus and SMETA, in line with the growth of
its European retail business.
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NOTES TO
EDITORS:
- La Dona Fruit specialises in growing and supplying the highest
quality tropical fruits on the market, including: Golden pineapples, Hass
avocados, Tahiti limes, and shortly Kent mangoes, from Panama, Colombia and
Peru. - Airfreighted Golden pineapples from Panama are ripened on the
plant for an extended period of time, resulting in incredibly sweet, richly
coloured, premium fruit year-round. - Europe is La Dona’s largest export destination, where buyers
comprise major retailers and wholesalers in the UK, France, Spain, Germany,
Italy, and Switzerland. - Other
markets include: the Netherlands, the United Arab
Emirates, Scandinavia, Poland, Russia, and the USA. - La Dona operates import-promotion desks in the Netherlands, and
the USA. - La Dona continues to diversify its supply portfolio as it acquires
additional fruit growing and packing operations across Latin America. - La Dona is certified according to the leading market standards,
such as GlobalGAP.
ABOUT LA
DONA FRUIT
La Dona Fruit is a leading producer and exporter of fresh golden
pineapples and tropical fruits in Latin America, bringing customers great
taste, quality and superior produce. Founded in 1977 by Edna Vergara, La Dona
Fruit has grown from a one-acre family farm in the coastal lowlands of Panama
to a thriving export business; having partnered with Colombia-headquartered
agribusiness management firm Farmfolio in 2018.
ABOUT OUR FRUIT
La Dona Fruit’s mission is to provide the world with the freshest,
highest quality tropical fruits on the market all year round. The quality of
our products is characterised by decades of tradition, first instilled by our
founder Edna Vergara almost 50 years ago.
Pineapples:
Our special MD2 variety of golden pineapple is outstandingly sweet
and juicy thanks to the optimum ratio of rainfall to sunlight on our farm in La
Chorrera, Panama. Our flagship product benefits from a unique combination of
family heritage, sustainable practices, and unbeatable quality. Pineapples are
loaded with nutrients, like vitamins C and B, and fibre. They can boost
immunity, provide antioxidant benefits, and may aid digestion.
Avocados: Colombia is
the perfect place to grow avocados thanks to its gentle climate. The fertile,
sun-kissed soil at our farm in beautiful Antioquia makes our Hass avocados
particularly special. Avocados are one of the world’s most-recognised
superfoods. They are versatile, delicious, and rich in nutrients like
potassium, fibre, vitamins E and K, plus good fats.
Limes: We are fast becoming the largest exporter of limes from
Colombia. The ample sunlight and nutrient-rich soils at different altitudes
enable our growers to produce larger, juicier, and more flavourful Tahiti limes
all year round. Tahiti limes are a powerhouse of flavour and nutrition. They
provide an excellent source of vitamins C and B, folic acid, and
potassium.
