While the weather is to blame for the late start of the season, Dutch Kalette cultivators agree on the fact that quality will be exceptional this season. “We will have very good quality this year, although production volumes will be slightly lower than usual at the start of the season,” says Sandra van der Veer, Marketing Manager of Van Nature.
Jaimie van Leeuwen, responsible for Marketing & Communication for Van Oers United: “We expect to start later in the season, and that we will have smaller harvests than expected, due to the drought and slower growth. Due to these circumstances, we expect a product that is just a bit smaller compared to previous years. However, quality looks fantastic.”
Kalettes, a natural hybrid of sprouts and kale from Tozer Seeds, which was previously known as Flower Sprout, appeared on the market in 2011. At first, the new vegetable was cultivated in the UK, but it soon drew the attention of Dutch cultivators who started producing the vegetable for the Dutch market and to meet European demand. Kalettes are currently being cultivated by Van Nature and Van Oers United in the Netherlands.
In addition to the demand for the product of the most important Dutch retail traders, there is also demand from many European markets and the US and even Australia. “A new line will be introduced with multiple-layered labels, and clear, attractive recipes, providing choice and convenience for the consumer,” Van der Veer says. New packaging, promotions at sales outlets, events, PR and social media, are some of the marketing activities that have been planned to raise awareness and to promote this new vegetable in the Netherlands and abroad. The first packagings with Kalettes will be found in Dutch supermarkets within several weeks, and the season will last until March.