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INGREDIENTS

• CARRIÈRE • INGREDIENTS • MARKET • PASSIONFRUIT • PRICES •

THE PASSIONFRUIT MARKET –
IS IT CONTROLLABLE ?
Ulrich M. von der Linden

INTRODUCTION
The Yellow Passionfruit (Passiflora edulis forma flavicarpa) has been in the focus of the fruit juice market for
quite a while already, mainly due to its increased price
volatility and severe supply problems.
This paper dealswith the structure of the demand and
supply side of the passionfruit market and its seasonality
as well as with the singularity of the passionfruit cycle.

the collection centers, who, in turn, sell it to processors.
In Ecuador, you will find a highly condensed “oligolipolistic” market structure with four processors controlling the
market.
Contrary to Ecuador, in Peru and Colombia,processing
companies either buy from contract farmers with no intermediaries involved or get fruit from their own orchards. But, comparable to Ecuador, there are not many
companies dedicating themselves to the export of
processed passionfruit. Again, the supply structure is
showing oligopolistic features.

1. SUPPLY SIDE STRUCTURE
The passionfruit market is dominated by four countries:
•
•
•
•Brazil
Ecuador
Colombia
Peru

Brazil is both the world´s largest grower and consumer of
fresh and processed passionfruit, accounting for 50-60 %
of the total world production with its numerous and extensive plantations predominantly in the provinces of
Bahia and Sergipe. Domestic consumption of passion
fruit-based nectars and drinks is growing impressively.
According to a surveyconducted by Tetra Pak in 2005,
passionfruit had a share of 11 % of total ready-to-drink
(RTD) juices and nectars. In fact, during the height of the
passionfruit cycle (see 3.), Brazil was importing passionfruit juice concentrate in order to satisfy increasing local
demand.
Ecuador is the world´s largest exporter of processed
passionfruit – purée, juice, concentrate and from-thenamed-fruit (FTNF)aroma. Ecuador´s processing plants
are usually buying the fruit from a third party, the socalled “centros de acopio” (fruit collection centers), which
act as intermediaries between farmers and processors.
Thousands of farmers and their families depend solely on
cultivation and fresh fruit sales; they deliver the fruit to

6

2. SEASONALITY OF PASSIONFRUIT
Brazil (Bahia/Sergipe)
JANFEB MAR APR MAY JUN

JUL AUG SEP

OCT NOV DEC

Ecuador
JAN

FEB MAR APR MAY JUN

JUL AUG SEP

OCT NOV DEC

Peru
JAN

FEB MAR APR MAY JUN

JUL AUG SEP

OCT NOV DEC

Colombia
JAN

FEB MAR APR MAY JUN

JUL AUG SEP

January/February 2007

OCT NOV DEC

In spite of the fact that all these countries are part of the
so-called “tropical belt”, seasons differ from one tothe
other.
Severe droughts and torrential rainfalls take their toll on
the fruit harvest and could heavily influence the maturing pattern. However, in “normal years”, i.e. without adverse weather conditions, tropical countries are blessed
with two annual crops (shown in red colour). In Ecuador,
an additional “intermediary crop” accounting for 10-15
% of annual fruit in-take (orange colour)usually takes
place between July and August.
Taking the seasonality of passionfruit in Peru as an example, it is worthwile to mention that approx. 50 % of the
fruit is harvested between July and September (main
crop) and approx. 30 % between January and March, as
shown in figure 1.

3. ROOM FOR GROWTH –
DEMAND SIDE OF THE MARKET
Demand for passionfruit is growing in:
• France, which isreporting a tremendous increase in
consumption of single strength juice, mainly in the
catering industry (for re-export) and new recipes with
mixed flavours, like orange/passionfruit and orange/
mango/passionfruit
• UK, where single strength juice is required for premium
smoothies
• Europe in general, using more and more passionfruit
FTNF aroma for beverages and fruit preparations
•...