As of this year, Daily Fresh Radish does not just have red radish in the greenhouses. White, icicle and white pointed radishes, among other products, have been added to the assortment. “It is an advantage for buyers to be able to buy all of the products from one address,” John Grootscholten says.
The company is run by the brothers John and Dennis Grootscholten, it is a member of Best of Four and of Dutch Specials. They own three locations, and during winter, they rent two or three additional locations.
“The market is asking for this kind of niche product,” the radish cultivator from Naaldwijk, the Netherlands, continues. “Cultivation is trickier, and when you have additional products, you also have more work. We thought about it, but we want to continue meeting our customers’ wishes. We were asked about these products too often.” That is why the entrepreneurs expanded their range with radish specialities this year: white pointed, icicle and white radish. Grootscholten can tell it is going well. “We can see we are able to keep quality at a high level, and that customers are quick to pick up the new products. It is an advantage for buyers to be able to buy all of the products from one address. The specialities are partially remaining in the Netherlands, but are also being shipped abroad as an addition to traditional produce.”
They harvest to order, and deploy a quick throughput for freshness.
It is not the only way they anticipate customer demand at Daily Fresh Radish. MRLs (Maximum Residue Limit) have also become an important topic of conversation. In order to keep MRLs as low as possible, the company is very actively working on biology and soil treatment. During the autumn, the complete area will be provided with 3,500 cubic tons of garden peat, and the area will be steamed. “Because hardly any means can be used in regular cultivation to eradicate diseases, pests, moulds and harmful soil pests, steaming and biology have become increasingly important,” says Grootscholten. “Our MRLs are now low enough that we can easily comply with supermarket requirements — and those are becoming stricter all the time, on top of normal regulations. All of the MRL of the last year are, on average, below ten per cent of the legal limit, and our challenge is to decrease this even further.”
Area increase
The radish area has increased somewhat in recent years, and not just at Daily Fresh Radish. The influence of the increase on the market? Grootscholten has not noticed much of it this year. “Eating healthy is being promoted, causing a little more consumption as well. And it has also been a market-driven expansion, in general. The market can certainly take it.” That is important, it is what they prefer to see at Daily Fresh Radish. “We are choosing stability, and it appears as if all the players in the radish business are doing the same. Stability is the best thing there is.”
Cultivation takes three weeks in summer, and 11 weeks in winter. That is why multiple locations are used in winter.
Sales are by Best of Four.
Daily Fresh Radish B.V.Hoge Geest 25
2671 LK Naaldwijk
The Netherlands
John: +31 (0)6 51 59 28 38
Dennis: +31 (0)6 54 24 44 14
F: +31 (0)174 64 10 79
E: info@dailyfreshradish.nl
www.dailyfreshradish.nl
John: +31 (0)6 51 59 28 38
Dennis: +31 (0)6 54 24 44 14
F: +31 (0)174 64 10 79
E: info@dailyfreshradish.nl
www.dailyfreshradish.nl