Profitable greenhouse vegetables, less so in tomatoes

After an extremely dismal spring, the cucumber and bell pepper cultivators managed to have a decent season. That is different in the field of tomatoes and aubergines, according to Arie Middelburg. With his consultancy GreenMatch, Middelburg deals with prices and developments in the sales of vegetables year-round. Here, he talks us through the season and he will explain the developments he sees in the Dutch fruit & vegetable sector.

It is remarkable in the tomato sector that there was a structural market improvement in autumn. “Due to illumination (and therefore a decrease and delay in the conventional cultivation) the total production pattern has changed significantly in the Netherlands: there is more production in spring, and in autumn the earlier cultivation switch for illuminated cultivation brings relief on the market. This year, too, we saw prices increase from the start of August, but a fairly significant and sudden production increase at the end of August surprised many people and put prices under pressure.”

Currently, sowing for next year is already underway for conventional cultivations, and the first illuminated cultivations are nearly in production again already, and there is a net increase in tomatoes visible, combined with illuminated cultivations. The new nurseries are filled with regular vine, but also with specialities. “But it appears as if the total vine/loose area will remain approximately similar in 2017. There is a shift to specialities, to snack tomatoes, cocktail and vine cherry tomatoes, and some cultivators are also switching to different cultivations: cucumbers, strawberries, and organic,” Middelburg sees. “In illuminated an increase is also visible, in line with recent years. Exact figures are not yet in, but it does not just concern vine tomatoes. Specialities are also cultivated under lamps.”

Aubergines also experienced a dramatic spring. “Miserable,” Middelburg says. “And it remained mediocre, except in the (almost structural) months of August and September, which fortunately improved the result somewhat in cumulative pricing. The aubergine suffered greatly from Spanish competition from spring to summer. We can still be better in tomatoes compared to Spain, but bell peppers and aubergines are not just fairly good in Spain, they also continue cultivating for a fairly long time. That was difficult for the Dutch aubergines especially in the wet and long spring, but it remained difficult for the rest of the season, despite a few peaks in pricing. The aubergine market appears satisfactory, based on current market reach (export to Russia has been sorely missed in recent years, not just for aubergines, but also for vine tomatoes and bell peppers), and despite people working hard on improving consumption, that has not been easy.” The Dutch area has now decreased somewhat according to current insights, and it appears as if the Spanish area is also going to decrease. “You never know if someone will respond by renting a greenhouse and planting aubergines in it, but it appears as if 2017 will be slightly less pressured compared with recent years, this season included.”

It is a very different story for cucumbers. “In the end, the season went very well, and the cultivators were also helped by the hail damages in June. That caused additional scarcity due to loss of production. The area shrank significantly in recent years, and Spanish competition has remained limited. We now see cucumber prices decreasing again, because Spain is on the market, and that will happen again in the spring. In previous years, the Spanish cultivators continued for a longer period of time, but that did not always go well regarding sales. Prices were often fairly disappointing during the late spring, and business tends to be slack then.”

The disappointing prices in spring also have effect on Dutch plans. “But we see starting later also has limits. Your entire season shifts, and in the end you still have a few weeks in which you do not make a profit, and some where you do make a profit, and the point is achieving a certain turnover. It could come in handy to start very early, but for that you need a high wire cultivation and illumination. The high thread cultivation will probably increase somewhat. It seems interesting because more production will be possible, but it also demands expertise.”

And then the final of the three largest crops: bell peppers. “Despite a difficult finish, bell peppers did well this year in general, also compared with last year. One cultivator will say it was a great season, and another will say it was only decent. The market opportunities in Europe have been good for Dutch bell peppers. Spain was very present in western Europe in spring, and prices were under pressure, but the summer made up for that,” Middelburg sums up. “And export to the US was downright good. All in all, bell peppers did well for the second year in a row, just as cucumbers.”

Yet bell peppers are currently a source of concern. “The area is going to expand significantly. Next season, an area expansion of about 90 hectares could cause an additional 7-8 per cent of bell pepper on the market in the Benelux. Everyone is hoping for Chinese export, but this is still very premature and it even still has to be started, and, additionally, it is not a bulk market. And where will the cultivators find the space to sell them at decent prices then?” And that is not the only thing. “According to reports, the Spanish area is also increasing,” Middelburg continues. “The question now is whether the market can absorb that, and at what price. Especially in spring that will put the market under further pressure, unless Spain has very bad weather this winter.”

For more information:
Arie Middelburg
GreenMatch
middelburg@greenmatch.nl
www.greenmatch.nl