This is a great time for strawberries price wise. The production is still at a fairly low level, but the demand is high. Jan Engelen of Veiling Hoogstraten indicates that the supply from Monday the 9th of March was at 1000 kilo. "This meant good prices. The average price is around 10 Euro per kilo." Prices good for now
Hoogstraten has been supplying strawberries all year round since 2013/2014. The cultivation under light is done and new harvest has started again. "It's all going well. We have had a nice sunny weekend. The supply is still limited, but we are slightly ahead compared to last year. The numbers will increase slowly over the next few weeks." Jan expects the prices to remain around the same level for now. "The demand is quite big. I don't see it going down any time soon. Easter will be early this year and that always stimulates demand. When the supply is above 10 tonnes per day again, the price will automatically decrease. But that's better, as high prices aren't always good for the international trade."
Opportunities in Japan
Veiling Hoogstraten has shown interest in new markets for years. "Last week we were present at the Foodex in Japan. In Japan they are looking for high quality products. The standard is very high." When asked whether there could be opportunities for strawberries or other products, Jan confirms it. "There are certainly possibilities. Dutch and Belgian products already go there, such as peppers, chicory and leek. I also wanted to see whether it would be worth lobbying certain products. Of course, you have to take a lot of aspects into account, such as the distance to this country. It will be a challenge for strawberries, as Japan has its own local product and it's quite a protected market. We'll see what opportunities the future holds."
For more information:
Jan Engelen
Veiling Hoogstraten
Loenhoutseweg 59
Hoogstraten - Belgium
Tel: +32 3 3400233
Fax: +32 3 3147844
www.hoogstraten.eu