Frank says that they sell their produce to various wholesalers and retailers. "Six times a week, we're at the European Centre in Brussels and on the wholesale market. At the moment, our watercress is sold in 150 gramme bunches in sealed red crates with a bit of water, to guarantee freshness for several days. Since a longer shelf life is very interesting for sellers, we have responded to that by also starting to offer packaged watercress. By way of a nice flow-pack packaging, we can expand shelf life to about ten days, which means shopkeepers have hardly any waste." The price is the same year-round. "We've been at the same level for about five years now. There are no fluctuations. There are also no negotiations about it."
More demand in winter
He indicates that demand for the product is often bigger than supply. "That's mainly the case in winter. Generally, there's even more demand than in summer then. Especially during the holidays, watercress is a hugely popular product. Sales can be up to four times higher than in a normal week then. With Easter approaching, we're also expecting sales to double." Watercress is mainly popular for making soup in Belgium. "It depends on the region. In other countries, it's also used as salad, but you can do a lot more with it. We're trying to draw increasing attention to this versatility of the product. Watercress is an addition to a great deal of dishes. We also introduced a new beer recently, called 'La Cress'. In this beer, our watercress seeds are added to the cooking process."
In America, watercress was recently declared the world's healthiest vegetable. "That's of course fantastic news! The more talk there is about watercress, the better. We are proud to be growing this power food." St-Lucie also clearly shows the beauty and versatility of the product in the packaging. "We respond to the demand by offering a hygienically packaged, freshly grown and super healthy product, that will also stay fresh on store shelves. This packaging is finished with a beautiful label, with a recipe on the back that changes every month."
The cultivation
Watercress cultivation is very laborious. "It's such a specific cultivation. You don't just learn it. We grew up with it. With other companies, you also see that it often stays in the family. You don't just get into it by chance. There's a lot involved. Knowledge about this fragile product is gained over the year," Frank explains. The Vansimpsen family provide their own watercress seeds, and allows watercress to 'shoot up' on a number of beds. These plants are then dried, so the seeds can be harvested. "Between March and mid-August, the watercress is sown. This way, you have watercress year-round, provided the plants are protected against the frost. The sown watercress is thinned out and replanted in other containers after seven weeks. It's all manual labour." The St-Lucie acreage is 5 hectares, of which 2 hectares are cultivated. "Over the years, we have taken over existing cultivation companies, and are now on seven different locations. That's not always easy, and in the future we want to bring it together more, preferably on one location. It's important that there are water sources nearby."
Christel and Frank look to the near future with optimism. "We notice a growing demand, and we are also planning to grow further. Not so much in area, but in making better use of the land we have at the moment. Steps will be taken in this regard soon."
For more information:
n.v. St-Lucie s.a.
Kraaibornstraat 37
B-3700 Lauw Tongeren (Belgium)
Tel. +32 (0)12 39 26 03
Fax +32 (0)12 23 00 07
info@sint-lucie.be
www.sint-lucie.be