The holiday season delivered solid demand for exotic fruit imports, but the start of 2026 has brought significant logistical turmoil. Ive Lambert of ADW Fresh Trade—a joint venture between Starfruit and Central Fruit that launched on October 1—says unusually harsh winter weather is now disrupting supply chains across Europe.
“The holidays generally went well,” Lambert said. “Demand was strong, and cold, poor weather actually helped—more people shopped in supermarkets instead of outdoor markets.” However, the situation changed dramatically in early January.
Specifically, heavy snowfall during the first week of the year caused widespread transport disruptions. “We’ve seen large-scale flight cancellations, temporary terminal closures, and trucks struggling to get through,” Lambert explained. As a result, the team finds it increasingly difficult to receive goods on schedule, which puts pressure on inventory and delivery planning.
Nowhere is this more evident than in the avocado market. Poor weather in both Spain and Morocco has reduced harvests and limited exports. “Availability is tight, and prices are firm—actually trending upward compared to last year’s dip,” Lambert noted. Although the company now moves more shipments by sea, supply won’t stabilize for another two to three weeks. Moreover, if rain continues in key growing regions, delays could worsen.
Importantly, customer demand remains steady. “Sales aren’t the issue—it’s logistics,” Lambert emphasized. Over the past two weeks, vessels have arrived up to 10 days late, throwing off the entire distribution chain. This unpredictability makes it hard to fulfill customer orders reliably.
The problem extends beyond avocados. At the end of December, passion fruit containers from Colombia arrived a full week late—only reaching ADW Fresh Trade in early January. While the company ships passion fruit in long-life packaging (which limits quality loss), more delicate produce suffers. Extra transit days significantly shorten shelf life and reduce freshness.
Consequently, ADW Fresh Trade faces a messy start to 2026. “We’re spending far more time managing arrivals and adjusting deliveries,” Lambert said. Still, the team remains focused on minimizing customer impact. Looking ahead, the weather should stabilize soon, and global logistics flows will return to normal.
In summary, while consumers continue to buy exotic fruit imports at a steady pace, Mother Nature—and strained transport networks—are the real bottlenecks in early 2026.