"The trick is not to give up hope"

"Dramatic and hopeless", is how Kees Stoop, Secretary of the Sluitkool RoDeKo Growers Association, describes the cabbage market. "I cannot describe it any better. Saying the mood of the growers is bad is an understatement. The trick is not to give up hope."

The past season had high yields and very little demand. There is still a lot of old, good quality cabbage available. Nevertheless, some growers are emptying their cold stores. Containers full of cabbage are also being fed to the cows. The cows do not really need cabbage. There is also a lot of carrots and potatoes available. The new cabbage planting season has already begun. Should there be an upturn in June/July, the questions will be how much the new and old cabbage will be in each other's way. This was the case three years ago.

Dutch growers have experienced a collapsing market over the last few years. Poland has become a significant competitor in this area. The demand for Dutch white cabbage has been very low. "Maybe it is structural. Some growers have earned hardly any money over the last four years. Others, who also had red cabbage, have been able to make a living. The situation is, therefore, different for everyone", says Kees

Kees expects the acreage used to cultivate white cabbage to shrink. An estimated 10 of the 110 growers affiliated with Rodeko have indicated that they have stopped. There are very few positives at the moment. Kees mentions a few: foreign acreage might shrink. There might be a gap in the market caused by a dry summer or cold winter. The Russian market might also open up again. "You never know. This situation is not unique. It happens all the time. There were seasons in the 70s and 90s where you made no money", Kees says from own experience. "In 1985 I paid about EUR0,11 for storage. I then sold my cabbage for EUR0,12 in April of that year."

The difference is that, in comparison, costs are much higher now. "Despite bad times, a lot of growers that specialise in this product have remained. They are, I think, a tough race."

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Kees Stoop