"There's never been a season like this"

"Cooling warehouses were full, and growers needed more storage space. Harvested crops were left outside or in the barn. Sometimes, the crops were left in the ground", says Ben Messaoud of the Dutch trading company, Hortica, about last year's season. The weather conditions during the last growing season resulted in huge yields. Not only in the Netherlands but in the whole of Europe. That made the 2017-2018 season one that Ben, who has been an exporter for more than 30 years, had never experienced before. Hardly anything is being paid for stored vegetables. "An order of celeriac is being sold for next-to-nothing this week."

Stormclouds are also brewing over the next season. "We usually close the new contracts around this time. This is, however, still proving difficult. The market is very hesitant. Meanwhile, we are under pressure to seal these deals. We have short chains as we supply directly from the farmer to the client. We are on the front line. If you do not fix these contracts, things can go wrong later in the season. It is like gambling."

The extreme weather really affected vegetables that are cultivated for the export market. These include cabbage, celeriac, carrots and onions. For beets, one of Hortica's specialities, the current market is somewhat better. "The Netherlands is a minor player when it comes to beets, both in volume and consumption. Beets are mostly grown in France, where it is also a popular vegetable. Usually, by the end of April, they are almost sold out. We have to wait for the new harvests from countries such as Spain." This trader also specialises in organic products. "The demand for organic vegetables grew in 2016 and 2017. At the moment, I am, however, seeing a stabilisation. There is, however, increased demand for the expansion of the range of organic vegetables originating from the same grower."

Hortica has, over the years, become specialised. They import and export vegetables for both the industry and the fresh market. In 1990, Ben started his business out of a small office in the Dutch city, Enkhuizen. Since then a large and modern office has been built nearby in Andijk. Ben's two sons, Mons (since 2009) and Menno (since 2012) have also joined the family business. "The Netherlands has always been a step ahead thanks to our language skills and international contacts", says Ben. The competition in the retail area is enormous. "It is difficult to get new clients, even if we have had years of good relations with them. This is because the business of trading has changed. Farmers are becoming professional, produce product year-round, and sometimes want to export their products themselves. You also see that buyers want to do business directly with the growers."

Something that has also changed dramatically over the past 30 years is the administrative side of trading. "This is especially true for the organically-grown vegetables with all their different requirements. For years, the focus on food safety has also created a lot of work. Inspections are regularly done to see whether everything is in order in accordance with the stipulated regulations. Customers also want more information about the products they are buying. They, apparently, want to stay up-to-date with almost all of the cultivation's facets. The question remains (not meant pessimistically): Where to now? At the moment, the supermarkets determine what a carrot or apple should look like."