Hoogstraten first time for cherries

Veiling Hoogstraten was at the Fruit Logisitca fair again this year. It was a successful show for them, and the team had various pieces of news for visitors. Hoogstraten will begin offering cherries in their assortment for the first time ever. Jan Engelen: "Right now we have two cherry growers, and from one of the growers there will be a harvest starting the end of May."

Hoogstraten estimates that 10 to 15 tons of cherries will be harvested. The cherries grow on ten acres of land. It is a protected cultivation with a roof. Jan expects that next year more manufacturers will opt for cherry cultivation, "Some growers seek alternatives, and it is a wonderful product to have." The cherries will be marketed under the Hoogstraten brand. 

Since early last year Hoogstraten has provided strawberries year round, "Last winter (2014) was the first time we had lit cultivation. Right now we have two acres overall, and that will be expanded upon this year," says Jan. "We notice that there is good demand for the product and we expect the total supply to grow as well." Right now the average strawberry supply at Hoogstraten is 10 to 12 tons per week. 

Jan said that the strawberries will receive a good promotional campaign again this season, "Again this year we will be introducing strawberries to the public in different ways. For a few years now we have been busy with the B2C-campaigns and we have seen that these are catching on. For example, if there is a tasting, they can sell three to ten times as much as usual. Hoogstraten strawberries will also be seen and heard on radio and TV. In addition, we have collaborated with 'De Lijn', an organization for public transportation. The strawberry will be visible on different lines of public transportation."


 
For more information:
Jan Engelen
Veiling Hoogstraten
Loenhoutseweg 59
Hoogstraten - België
Tel: +32 3 3400233
Fax: +32 3 3147844
www.hoogstraten.eu