Have vegetable stocks been cleared out for the new season?

The warm weather has ensured a completely different vegetable season to last year. "I am curious to know if all produce was cleared before the new season began. Last year we had a cold Spring and production began later and this year it is the other way around. Last year it wasn't until the end of June that we had the first iceberg lettuce, but possibly now it will be the end of April. Nature is running around three to six weeks earlier to last year," said Kees van den Bosch from Freeland in Emmen.

"For growers this is a particularly dramatic season. Take leeks for example, the whole season has been too warm and there have been too many. Last year leeks sold for a lot of money but since there has been no winter, everything has grown and been harvested, but there will come a time when we are again short. The season has run quicker than it should, so normally speaking there should be a gap, we just don't know when, and I don't dare to make a guess," said the vegetable trader.

"Reasonable amounts of leeks are going to Germany, Poland, Sweden and the Eastern Block, but there is a lot of product available. Italy, Spain, France and Belgium are all self sufficient," says Kees. "Quality is good but there are poor prices. In recent weeks we have only paid growers between 15 and 20 cents - just for the harvest the cost price is 15 cents, while auctions are selling between 7 to 12 cent. With these prices they might do better to stop delivering to auction."

"Carrot sales are also running slowly and there is a lot of poor quality on the market. The market normally picks up after Easter. The celeriac market has had to cope with fewer outlets but the price level is reasonably normal and during this period it traditionally goes up. White cabbage is not doing well at 12 cents and during this period we also like to sell greenhouse vegetables, prices have fallen hard but thankfully are still reasonable."

For more information:
Kees van den Bosch
Freeland B.V.
Nijbracht 126
7821 CE Emmen
T: +31(0)591 670570
M: +31(0)6 51406694
kees@freeland.nl
www.freeland.nl