Why joint pain still afflicts the supply chain

KAREN DAVIDSON

COVID may be in the rear-view mirror, but there’s no analgesic balm for all the hand-offs from one supplier to another. Anecdotal evidence abounds of ongoing parts, equipment and sales delivery problems across the entire fresh produce industry. Together, these factors contribute to stubbornly high retail food prices.

“We were hamstrung by a tiny device measuring four inches by four inches,” recalls Steven Roberts, director of produce sales for Vineland Growers’ Cooperative, Jordan Station, Ontario. “It’s the part that controls refrigeration coolers. The overseas supplier had the part on back order due to inflated production lead times.”

Mario Masellis, vice president of sales and marketing for Catania Worldwide, has witnessed such pressure points firsthand as a global fruit importer of kiwifruit, citrus and other perishables. He points to an infographic (see page 3) released by the Canadian Produce Marketing Association

(CPMA) and Fruit and Vegetable Growers of Canada that details the effect that grower inputs – seed, fertilizer, packaging – have on the entire value chain.

“Every partner of that chain affects everyone in that chain,” he says. “Think of the decisions that are made to deliver a fruit item to the retailer in the right punnet or mesh bag or bulk case, at the right weight, at the right time.”

That’s exactly why a perfect storm has pelted the produce industry in terms of geopolitical upheaval in Ukraine, calamitous weather events, historically high energy prices and rising wages for labour. Inflation is still stubbornly high in 2023. The Canadian Consumer Price Index rose 4.4 per cent in April from a year earlier, but grocery costs were up 9.1 per cent raising the spectre that interest rate hikes may not have peaked. Combined, these factors have resulted in produce prices that are now at record highs. Retailers trying to explain this complex global supply chain have received little empathy from either consumers or parliamentarians.

“Yes, the selling prices have changed but the margins haven’t for retailers,” says Masellis, explaining that recent record profits come from increased volumes relative to pre-pandemic sales. “There’s been a lot of compromise from farm to plate to manage prices with cuts into everyone’s margin. And all of these negotiations depend on your partnerships.”

In today’s context, those relationships span the world. Pointing to his company’s kiwifruit purchases from New Zealand, Italy, Greece and Chile, Masellis explains, “Exchange rates have a huge bearing on whether a business transaction makes money, especially with delays in delivery time. For example, I may buy produce in euros, transport it in U.S. dollars and then sell in Canadian dollars.”

Continued on page 3