Straits Times 19 Mar 10;
IT IS white asparagus season in Europe and North America now, but Singaporeans are getting about 1,200 tonnes of the pale stalks, never mind that the weather here is far from wintry.
Achachas from Bolivia, acai berries from the Amazon, Italian blood oranges, Korean Shingo pears and ice salad from France are just some of the exotic items foodies here are heading to grocers for, as they buy into the worldwide craze for fresh seasonal produce.
Demand is so high that FairPrice, for one, is importing 20 per cent more fresh seasonal foods than two years ago - with a 60 per cent jump over the past decade.
Cold Storage and Jasons Market Place count ice salad, a wild plant found mostly on the French coast, among the new items they introduced recently, including doughnut peaches, broccolini and fresh figs. The variety of produce they offer has increased by 15 per cent in the last two years.
It is the same for major fruit importing company Ban Choon Marketing, which brought in only 15 varieties of seasonal fruit a decade ago. It now imports 50 new types of seasonal fruit, including Japanese kumquats, apriums and kiwi berries.
Last year, small-time food importer Garnet and Peridot became one of the first importers of acai berry products - made from the pulp of the purple fruit - which have risen in popularity globally because of their antioxidant properties.
According to figures from the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority, acai imports have increased from 280kg in 2008 to 711kg now.
The trend, say industry players, is facilitated by free trade agreements signed in recent years, commercial farming of exotic foods, and lower transport costs.
More than 10 free trade agreements - legally binding contracts between countries that eliminate trade barriers such as tariffs - have been signed between Singapore and countries such as Japan and New Zealand in the past decade.
'It is also cheaper to import fruits and vegetables now because there are so many airlines flying in and competition has brought costs down,' said Ban Choon Marketing owner Tan Chin Hian, who reckons the cost of importing a tonne of fruit into Singapore has dropped by more than 30 per cent in the past decade.
A spokesman for the Dairy Farm group, which owns the Cold Storage and Jasons Market Place chains, attributes the growing demand to an increased supply.
Achacha, an exotic fruit that has its roots in Bolivia where it was farmed in relatively small quantities, for instance, is now commercially grown in Australia.
The reason for Singaporeans' increased demand for the exotic: They are now more well-travelled and open to acquiring new tastes. The prominence of cooking shows by celebrity chefs has also drummed up demand - which continues to be high despite higher prices.
For example, purple cauliflower from the United States costs about $10 per kg, treble that of the regular crop from China. White asparagus from North America costs $29 per kg, $15 more than regular green asparagus, while Korean strawberries cost about $2 per 100g, 70 cents more than the normal ones from the US.
Profit margins for exotic fruits are higher, with grocers reporting a 15 per cent profit, up from the 10 per cent for regular produce. But Mr Tan warned that the big margins could change once more importers get in on the act.
Most meat and fish importers, however, are missing out on the seasonal fad. Apart from specialised produce like grass-fed spring lamb, seasons are rare in the meat market due to improvements in animal husbandry, which mean these animals can be farmed all year round, they say.
But consumers here seem happy enough as it is.
'There is much more variety at supermarkets now, and at more affordable prices,' said Mr Thomas Chiam, 40, who has bought seasonal items like black truffles, white asparagus and Japanese oranges. 'When I go grocery shopping, I try to pick seasonal foods. Why not? My meals will be more unique.'
However, housewife Jenny Lin, 34, thinks more can be done.
'Yes, there is more variety now, but I want to see more supermarkets and even wet markets selling these things,' said the mother of one, who cooks at least one meal a day. 'If I want something really special, like yellow dragon fruit, I still don't know where to start looking for it.'
