The horticultural sector already started sagging early on in the season. Tomatoes are being sold for next to nothing, and other greenhouse vegetables are also going for inconsiderable prices. Tomatoes could be sold for a conciliation price of 32 cents per kilogram at auction next week. “Last year, this was the lowest recorded price for tomatoes,” says Jonathan Vandesande from exporter Weiss. “It is already disastrous early on.”
Decrease in price for lettuce
It was very ‘wild’ for greenhouse lettuce for a number of weeks. “There are large differences in price compared to a few weeks ago. Currently they are between 20 and 30 cents. Last week that was 50 to 60 cents, and a week before that they sold for almost a Euro at auction. Demand was very high then.” The decrease in price is due to increasing production in several European countries such as Germany and Italy.
Suspicious?
A low price is not automatically a nice advantage to traders. “I would rather have a slightly more expensive product that is in demand, than tomatoes for 10 cents you cannot get rid of,” Vandesande says. “A product that is too cheap does not help trade either. Some buyers will even start to think it is suspicious. People would rather pay slightly more for a scarcer product with a higher price.”For more information:
Jonathan Vandesande
J. Weiss bvba
Kempenarestraat 52
B-2860 Sint-Katelijne-Waver
Tel.: +32 15 55 20 11
Fax: +32 15 55 30 02
www.weiss.be