Organic turmeric from Costa Rica is in growing demand, especially due to its good shelf life.

In 2017, the product range of the German import company BioTropic GmbH was expanded with ginger and turmeric from Costa Rica. Almost five years after the first deliveries of these roots, the director Sascha Suler makes a positive assessment. Despite the difficult logistical situation, this year's season is off to a good start.

Both ginger and turmeric are mainly offered loose in 2kg boxes.

There is direct competition with Peru for both products, a producer country already consolidated in the international market. "Especially in the case of ginger, the fight with Peru is not so easy. On the other hand, Costa Rican roots are usually larger than Peruvian ones, somewhat similar to Brazilian products, so our ginger is very well received in the market. Organic turmeric from Costa Rica enjoys a growing demand, especially because it can be stored very well. Both products are packed in IFCO boxes for greater ventilation, to preserve the quality of the product and strengthen the ecological idea ".

According to Suler, due to high freight rates and delivery delays, importing products from overseas currently presents many challenges. "Getting to contract a container is an achievement. The first half of the season, in particular, was very difficult. Prices have been quite high and stable so far. The ginger market is characterized by a slight oversupply now that sales are decreasing after the strong period of the coronavirus pandemic is over. On the other hand, the supply of turmeric is quite limited, so we are very well positioned with our quality, which is very good."

In the longer term, Suler also sees interesting sales potential for turmeric. "In my opinion, the per capita consumption of ginger will not increase much more. In addition, the ginger market is very competitive, so I think that the increase in sales will be limited," concludes Sascha Suler.

Organic turmeric from Costa Rica is in growing demand, especially due to its good shelf life. PDF