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| Saturday, 07 August 2010 04:07 |
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Sofia bought four mangoes for 14.61 Euros. I thought that was extremely expensive. They were good, uniformly ripe, no black spots. But still ...
You can read a brief article about how Frunet handles mangoes here or visit their website here. [Updated 29-Aug-2010 @ 10:39 to provide links to: an article about Frunet (although it reads more like a press release) and Frunet] [rr : this was pre-recorded as I am currently on holiday] |
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It is insanely expensive... it's probably double what a mango would cost at Whole Foods...
I am no stranger to paying exhorbitant prices for fruit - a while back, I paid .99 per dragon fruit in Canada. Of course, this was more to sample rather than be a stapel of fruit.
Part of this may have to do with unrealistic expectations of low food prices - especially on perishables. It is often hard to remember that food production is a business and everything and that those raspberries for sale weren't handpicked just for me early this mornign and delivered to Loblaws. They were mass produced and delivered to dozens if not hundreds of stores.
There was an article in one of the newspapers recently about the coveted Pakistani mango:
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/840906--americans-flock-to-toronto-to-buy-coveted-pakistani-mango
Do we need them to be handpicked for us just this morning? Not really.
Some of the farmers' markets offer that frill, but I don't see why it's worth paying more for. Often, the farmers markets don't store the fruit well during the day and by about 10am the strawberries are mushy on the bottom. And the same farms sell to the supermarkets at a much lower price.
I used to be "into" farmers markets and even subscribed to a CSA for a couple of years, but now I see them more as a theme park where people go to experience the atmosphere that is all but dead in North American towns without a market, a craft fair, or jazz festival.
Most other produce is priced as I remember in Canada (except per Kilo), so Apples go for between 0.99 and 1.99 (most typically 1.69) per Kilo. The same for peaches and nectarines.
I don't think there are genuine farmer's markets anymore. It seems to have become synomous with 'outdoor vending'. Al the produce seems to come from commercial growers (as evidenced by the trays).