“Please step up to restore trade relations withRussia.” This plea was made to the State Secretary Van Dam of Economics and theStanding Committee for Economic Affairs of the House of Representatives by theDutch fruit sector on Wednesday morning June 22. Because of the Russian boycottof fruit and vegetables the marketing and pricing of apples and pears ispressurized. That is why the Fresh Produce Centre and the Dutch Fruit Growers Organization(NFO) are pleading for effective measures to take place in the near future to prevent the bankruptcyof many companies.
Themeasures are aimed at recovery of demand, promotion to increase consumption,and charge reduction. The sector performs duties directed at a strong marketposition for Dutch products on the home market, more promotion, and the offerof apples and pears to foodbanks. Fresh Produce Centre and the NFO call upon the Cabinetof the Netherlands and the House of Representatives to step up and normalize thetrade relations with Russia, to improve the EU intervention regulation forfruit and vegetables, to promote an equal court with fair competition withinthe European Union, and to invest in the stimulation of the fruit consumption,together with the fruit growers and retail businesses, which is in accordancewith the policy of State Secretary Van Dam.
Millions of Euros of damage
Thechairmen Michiel Gerritsen of the NFO and Kees Wantenaar of Fresh ProduceCentre handed the ‘Plea for market recovery and improvement of the competitiveposition of the Dutch fruit sector’ to the Standing Committee and the StateSecretary at 10.30 hrs and 10.45 hrs respectively on Wednesday June 22. Thiswas before the General Consultation about the EU Agricultural Council. Adelegation of fruit growers gave out apples and flyers to the passing public tomake them understand that the Russian boycott affects the fruit growers andretailers disproportionately. The damage is estimated to be 100 to 125 million Euro per season. There was some extra consumption domestically after theboycott started, but that has passed.
The EU intervention regulations do not contribute to the market recovery and export to new destinations. For example, the 1 million pears exported to China do not even begin to compensate the loss of sales of the 60 million kg of pears exported to Russia. The prediction for the coming season is not very positive: Europe still has large stockpiles of harvest and the demand for industry fruits for next year is already provided for.