Tomato market slowly emerges from the depths

Suddenly, from one day to another, there was a big turnaround for the tomato market. Growers can breathe freely once again. "Wednesday morning (29^th of June), the average price for tomatoes at BelOrta auction was around 80 cents per kilo. The day before, this was only 55 cents per kilo. The cucumber did surprisingly well. For the 400-grams cucumbers the price was around 60 cent," says a trader. "It is striking that the trade seems to be flat, regardless of this the prices are increasing."

He thinks that the rebound has to do with promotions in supermarkets. "There were less tomatoes at BelOrta. The supply at Hoogstraten and Roeselare was more or less equal. A nice price increase was noticeable at these auctions. The tomato has emerged from the depths.

High priced peppers

"The peppers are selling alright as well. They have been expensive for a while now. The supply is limited in comparison to last year. The green peppers are priced highest: about €2.80; red peppers go for €2.10 and the yellow peppers are the cheapest with prices around €1.90. These prices are globally average."

Larger supply cauliflower

When it comes to cauliflowers, the supply has increased. "We have seen prices of €2.30, but the prices have now decreased to €0.90. The supply to BelOrta was only 500 to 1000 crates per day two weeks ago; this has increased to 7000 crates per day. So the price reduction was to be expected."

Aubergines and courgettes

"The prices of aubergines remain around 1 Euro. Courgettes are around 15 to 20 cents, which is a reasonable price for the summer. The massive rainfall has had its influence on the field cultivation. So the supply has decreased."