Almost 130 million for largest product offered: strawberries
VBT Auction approx. 800 million Euro profit in 2013
VBT sales figures 2012 and 2013. Click here for table enlargement
Hoogstraten
Auction Hoogstraten closed 2013 with a profit of €167,4 million - a rise of 6% on 2012 and around 16% on 2011. Vegetables and strawberries both performed better than 2012 with around 4% increase on 2011, but this was varied grower to grower. Vegetables achieved a 3% rise on 2012 and 24% higher than the EHEC year 2011.
REO Auction
Profits for REO Auction reached €157.1 million in 2013 similar to 2012, but 20% higher than 2011. Weather conditions played a major effect on prices, leeks did very well in the first half of the year. Despite the drop in imports and lower prices in the Autumn, leeks achieved a profit of 24% on 2012. Prices for greenhouse lettuce, tomatoes and chicory during 2013 were less favourable than 2012.
BFV
In 2013, the Belgian Fruitveiling made a profit of €111.4 million and rose by around 10% on 2012 and 6% on 2011. These increase in profits were down to the very favourable pear prices during the first six months and good apple prices at the year end. (2012/2013 harvest) and season start (2013/2014 harvest).
Borgloon
Profits for Auction Borgloon in 2013 rose to €68.2 million a 16% increase on 2012 and 18% on 2011. A higher than average price for top fruit and strawberries was the reason for this. Auction Borgloon is the largest auction for small fruit, 16% of the total revenue, a rise of 16% in 2013 and around 14% from 2012.
LTV
The Limburg Tuinbouwveiling closed 2013 with a turnover of €7.5 million - 20% lower than in 2012 and 22% lower than 2011. This fall was caused by a lower amount of vegetable trading (-12%) and fruit (-38%) compared to 2012, (9% of total revenue) which led to a reduction in revenue of over 18%; for fruit this was over 20%.
BelOrta
On 1st January 2013 Mechelse Auction merged with Coöbra to form BelOrta. In 2013 BelOrta achieved a turnover of €287.8 million. To compare this year, the previous individual totals from 2012 were combined and indicated a reduction of around 6%. On one side this is due to the difficult market for their main product, tomatoes which saw large volumes across Europe and competition from cheaper production countries. On the other hand, despite a good harvest of chicory roots (Autumn 2012), profits for chicory also fell, because of large volumes from all chicory producing countries.
Turnover from Walloon strawberry auction Criée de Wépion totalled €1.1 million in 2013 which was 15% lower than 2012. Next to this traditional auction is also Ingro, a production organisation for industrial vegetable growers, also member of the VBT. Ingro ended 2013 with a production value of €93 million, a rise of around 21% compared to 2012. This increase can be explained by the improved contract prices and increased supply from the shifting of Autumn crops in 2012 and ideal growing conditions in 2013. The 1,100 active members delivered a total 458.2 million kg industrial vegetables, the most important of which were cauliflower, carrots, brussel sprouts, spinach, beans and leeks.
Top 10 products
The table below shows supply, average prices and sales of the main VBT products. This table is the result of information gathered throughout the calendar year. 2013 was recognised for the climatic conditions which played a part in the production supply and prices in the fruit and vegetable sector. What was shown with the main vegetable varieties was a general loss of around 4%.
Click here for table enlargement
Disastrous
For tomatoes and chicory 2013 was a disastrous year. Both products were transported 5% more than in 2012, but only achieved a very low average price (-22%). Tomatoes and chicory suffered a loss in 2013 of around 18%. It was bad for tomatoes from March until the end of May when they resumed normal prices then as a result of higher supply in June, the market collapsed. Export to the East fell and Russia acted as price holder. During the Summer and Autumn production remained at a high level but with very low prices. Only in the run up to Christmas did prices recover.
Poor chicory prices
For chicory, there was a relatively high supply of the harvested chicory roots all over Europe in 2012, and low prices followed. Prices recovered slightly in May after decline of production in France. The summer months with traditionally low consumption reduced the demand needed to keep the price level, but so that production kept running and demand stayed high, prices were dramatically low. In the Autumn prices could recover because supply normalised and demand was higher.
18% less lettuce
2013 saw a noticeably lower amount of lettuce than in 2012. The average price dropped by around 18% on 2012 prices which resulted in 19% loss. Prices of greenhouse lettuce were not high, but not extremely low. Supply increase in April led to a dip in prices and October was also a weak month. Head lettuce faced more competition from alternative lettuce varieties. Yellow and red pepper supply fell in 2013 with a respective 7% and 13% on 2012 volumes. Green peppers experienced a supply increase of around 19%. Prices for all colours were higher than 2012, giving a noticeable rise in profit of almost 20% so peppers had good prices until the last harvest month due to supply from Southern Europe. Globally leeks had a 24% rise in profits compared to 2012, while supply fell by 9%. Given that volume is never very large prices in the first half of the year were very good. In the Autumn prices were lower than at the end of 2012.
Profit rise for cucumbers
There were also fewer cucumbers available in 2013 (-7%) compared to 2012, but a better than average price lead to a 5% increase in profit. The good prices came under pressure in the Autumn with imports from Southern Europe.
Less profit for cauliflower
In contrast to the situation for peppers, leek and cucumber, the better than average price for cauliflower and lower volume (-11%) did not hold profit and resulted in a profit loss of around 4% on 2012. The first cauliflowers were sold for top prices, then following warmer weather from June and larger supply brought normal seasonal prices. The warm, dry summer weather did not help increase consumption of cabbages either. The harvest rose but consumption fell and a weak price followed which was not recovered by Autumn.
Changeable for strawberries
2013 was a changeable year for strawberry crops, very variable from region to region and grower to grower. In general the average price rose to almost 17% on 2012, and despite less supply (-5%) there was a 10% rise in profit in 2013. Pear supply during 2013 was 17% lower than 2012, while the average price for the whole year was higher. This resulted in a 10% rise in profit compared to 2012. In 2013 apples were also sold around 8% less than 2012. Thanks to a better average price (+17%), 2013 ended with a 6% increase in profit.
Click here for the full year results
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