Portuguese food retailers are increasingly betting on technological developments and seed studies to boost out of season fruit and vegetable production with the aim of reducing imports.
More and more fruit and vegetables have extended their stay on store shelves, regardless of the season, particularly at major retail chains, such as Pingo Doce and Continente.
The Continente Producers Club has, since 2010, undertaken a project to encourage farmers to supply the stores for a longer period of time, even outside the time window that traditionally fits their products.
Ondina Afonso, president of the Producers' Club, explained to daily Publico that the intention is "to have consistency in the quality of the offer throughout the year, strengthening domestic production and relying less on imports".
Supermarket chain Pingo Doce is also working with farmers to implement agricultural techniques that enable the production of certain varieties outside their season. Pingo Doce has also been encouraging the production of food that is typically produced outside Portugal, such as passion fruit, physalis and prickly pears.
© 2016 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Branislav Pekic. To subscribe to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine, click here.
