"Plenty of Dutch cauliflower available in two weeks"

Dutch cauliflower is trickling onto the market at the moment. "The cold weather has delayed production. We cannot guarantee volumes yet. This will, however, change next week", says Ton Slagter of the Dutch production and trading company, P.N. Slagter. "We do want to provide clarity but cannot yet sign off on programmes. Retailers are, therefore, still buying from Spain. There are also problems due to the wet conditions. For now, that has not affected the Dutch trade."

Ton estimates that the Spanish competition will come to an end in late April. Then the sales in the Netherlands will begin in earnest. Currently, there is not much to be made with Dutch cauliflower. "Retail is eager to buy 'sixes' of cauliflower. You can still get a good price for these. The prices for 'eights' are, however, at a lower level", continues Ton. When Spain is out of the picture, prices will improve, according to him.

"Cauliflower is still a popular vegetable to sell. Retailers like having them on their shelves. You can also have many marketing campaigns with this product. We do, however, see that consumption levels are decreasing", says Ton. On the supply end, the number of hectares used to grow cauliflower has shrunk somewhat. It has now stabilised.

Unusual varieties of cauliflower remain stuck in the niche market. "In two weeks, we will start with the Romanesco. We have also been cultivating orange, green, and purple cauliflower for years. These are available from June. Their volumes remain small. They do, however, attract a fair amount of attention", concludes Ton.

The first harvested Dutch 6e cauliflower

For more information:
Ton Slagter
Fa. P.N. Slagter
acm.slagter@quicknet.nl
www.bloemkool-westfriesland.nl