“In two weeks, we should start with the cherry tomatoes and the rest of the varieties,” said Damian Gulewski of Green Group. Gulewski said they ship their tomatoes, which include bunched tomatoes and tomatoes on the vine, to Scandinavia, Estonia, Latvia, England and France, but most of their activity this season has been limited to the domestic market.
“Polish customers will choose Polish products over foreign products, even if the foreign products are cheaper,” explained Gulewski. “In the next few weeks, we'll start sending some tomatoes outside of Poland, but not too many because prices in Poland are still high.” While tomato prices have remained strong, prices for cucumbers have been volatile. Green Group also grows cucumbers in their 52-hectare high-tech greenhouse facility, and Gulewski noted that last week's prices were good, but they fell significantly this week.
Though Green Group only sends about five percent of its annual production to Russia, the Russian ban on European goods has increased competition for everyone. While the Russian ban hasn't been a big blow, other growers, who rely on Russia for a significant part of total sales, are now operating in the markets in which Green Logistic operates. Gulewski said they've managed to weather the new situation by working with clients. They offer custom labelling, for example, and packaging can be made to any client's specifications.
“For sure, the competition is high, but we are the biggest grower of tomatoes and cucumbers in Poland. So we're still trying to get the best quality and the best prices,” said Gulewski. “Hopefully, everything will be okay.”
For more information:
Damian Gulewski
Green Group
tel.: +48 815 615 39
handel@greengroup.com.pl
www.greengroup.com.pl