A low supply of courgettes is reflecting in the prices. They have gone up to 70 cents for yellow and green. Grower Helmoed Meijer: "Sometimes the
pieces fall into place and it goes really well."
The day trading shows better prices this week for most greenhouse vegetables. The lower supply and contracts that were made are causing tightness on the free market and rising prices for peppers, cucumber, tomato and aubergine, among others. The courgette prices are also rising due to less supply.
The courgettes look fine, unlike the weather forecast. The production at the moment is low.
Lorry work
Mildew is playing an important role for greenhouse growers who planted early this season, around the end of March. Due to the pressure of disease they had to end production early. The open ground growers also stopped earlier due to rain and heat. Add to this that a lot of greenhouse growers planted last week and won't produce anything over the next two weeks and the tightness on the market is explained. "It's not growing very fast at the moment either," says Helmoed Meijer, yellow courgette grower. "Everyone is cutting less. It gives us space." The courgettes aren't bothered by the Russian boycott. "You have to eat yellow courgettes within 3 or 4 days. Russia is lorry work."
The low supply is resulting in a price of around 70 cents for yellow and green. "That's fine for this time," says Meijer. The expectations for the rest of the season are also quite good. It's too late for a huge increase in production, which can happen in the courgette sector after a period with good prices. "If you haven't got your cultivation sorted now, it's over. It will be next spring."