Demand for local fruits and vegetables growing faster

Latvians are buying an increasing amount of fresh fruit and vegetables, according to Maxima Latvija sales figures. In the second quarter of this year, the total amount sold in Maxima stores was 9% more than last year. Furthermore, demand for local produce is increasing. Demand increased by 10% for fruit, vegetables and berries grown in Latvia, which have a reduced VAT rate.

“We are pleased to report that Latvians are increasingly selecting healthier products, and for the second quarter in a row we are including more fresh fruit and vegetables in our shopping baskets than last year. We see that shoppers also value our partnerships with local producers and farmers, and our increased range of local produce. In season, Maxima’s range in some product categories includes up to 90% Latvia-grown fruit and vegetables,” explains explains Maxima Latvija Head of Business Analytics Zane Kaktiņa.

At the same time, the Top 5 fruit and vegetable ranking shows that people are choosing both local and overseas produce. The five most popular vegetables in the first half of this year were potatoes, onions, carrots, tomatoes and Latvian country cucumbers. Meanwhile, the favourite fruits in this period were bananas, apples, small mandarins, oranges and watermelons.

People are more likely to choose to buy their fruit and vegetables in larger Maxima stores, which is reflected in the list of the Top 10 most-purchased products. If the proportion of fruit and vegetables among the favourite products in smaller stores is 40%, this climbs to 50% in Maxima XX stores, and 70% in Maxima XXX stores.