For B&B Fruit, the Dutch fruit-growing company run by cousins Frederik and Marinus Bunt, the plum season is in full swing. The harvest is considerably smaller as a result of frost damages. “But we calculated that in. I estimate we have about 35 per cent less product,” says Marinus Bunt. “The amount of kilograms is better than expected, but we have plenty of plums to provide trade.”
Marinus Bunt
According to the grower, prices vary from very low to very high this year. “But trade is now really getting started. Prices for good plums are between 2 and 2.5 euro, that’s just a very good price. Supermarket programmes are all filled out, and demand is such that I expect prices will remain at a good level.”
“Very few foreign plums are on the market. Because of the heat in Southern Europe, those flows have been delayed. And Romania, another large plum country, is much affected by frost damages. We also have a cultivation company in Poland, where we grow for the Polish market, and that company also has 25 per cent less plums because of frost damages,” Marinus continues.
The Dutch plums season lasts until mid-September. B&B Fruit is by far the largest plum producer in the Netherlands, and they want to expand that position in coming years. “We have our own tree nursery, and want to expand our area by about 20 hectares in coming years. We will continue developing new varieties, whether or not in club concept. The majority of our area now consists of Reine Victoria, but we are going to dedicate ourselves to the variety Jubileum,” Marinus says.
For more information:
Marinus Bunt
B&B Fruit
Schoolstraat 2
6674 AK Herveld, the Netherlands
Mob: +31 (0)6 225 28 117
marinus@benbfruit.nl
www.benbfruit.nl