For years, the market for organic greenhouse vegetables was finished and had shortages, and product availability was its biggest issue for a long time. This year, however, the market made quite a turn. “Two factors have been of major influence in that. In the Netherlands, the area expanded by 15 to 20 hectares, which amounts to an increase of about 10 per cent. That might seem like a lot, but compared to Spain it’s very little. They are rapidly switching to growing organically,” says Siem van der Valk, manager of Bio World.
“The expansion is going very rapidly, and appears to keep going. We’re celebrating our ten-year anniversary early in September, so we’ve been around for quite some years. Many organic companies were founded especially in recent years, both in the Netherlands and in Spain. Some companies are more serious than others. Italy also expanded it’s cultivation area. That causes an enormously difficult market, which I don’t see changing anytime soon. Organic cucumbers had good opportunities this season, because quality from Spain was very variable, but it was a more difficult story for bell peppers and tomatoes,” Siem says.
“Large supermarket chains focus more and more on Spanish products. When Spain isn’t on the market, you can do a bit of supplying, but they say goodbye just as easily after the summer,” Siem has noticed. “Fortunately we are working hard with our Spanish sister company Bio Montana. With this, we have a ‘fyke’ to work with serious, qualitatively good Spanish producers, and we can therefore provide our customers with organic greenhouse vegetables year-round.”
For more information:
Bio World
ABC Westland 114
2685 DB Poeldijk
T: +31 174 214453
F: +31 174 214479
s.vandervalk@bioworld.nl
www.bioworld.nl