A good businessperson adapts easily to market trends. This is also true for REO Auctions and its products. This Belgian auction house included soft fruit in its range for the first time last year. This was under the Fine Fleur quality label. It is already the fourth year for strawberries. For raspberries, blackberries, and redcurrants, it is the second year. Since June, blueberries are also being sold under the Fine Fleur quality brand name.
Recently, cauliflower and various lettuce varieties (green and red coral lettuce, and green and red oak leaf lettuce) have also been added. A growing number of growers are jumping on this bandwagon. This is increasing the range offered. The widened consumer demand can, therefore, easily be met. The REO Auction house has always been well known for its strong outdoor cultivation culture. Now many producers are also investing in greenhouse cultivation.
"The transition from fruit to vegetables means a big adjustment", says grower, Stefaan Pype. "It demands a number of investments. You also need more manpower to pick everything in time. Yet, I am very pleased with this crucial change. I cultivate, among others, blackberries and blueberries. I, however, focus on red raspberries."
These raspberries come to market under the Fine Fleur quality label. The auction house sells all its vegetables under this brand name. These include curly endive, lettuce, leeks, open field tomatoes, open field chicory, young courgettes, and hop shoots.
"The Fine Fleur raspberries are not too red and not too ripe. They are sold in attractive, convenient packaging that you can take along. These can remain in the shops for a few days. This year, we are focusing more on better continuity in the production of Fine Fleur soft fruit. In this way, we ensure an even better service for our buyers", says Stefaan. "All Fine Fleur products undergo stringent controls. This is a guarantee to retailers that every box is perfect to sell to the end-consumer. Retailers can also enjoy attractive prices by buying through REO Auctions. Fine Fleur products can be sold at auction or via weekly brokerage. This guarantees the buyer a fixed price."
The supply of soft fruit has increased considerably in recent years. This is, therefore, responding perfectly to the high demand in the market. REO auctions want to encourage even more producers to start growing soft fruit. In this way, they can respond even more precisely to the demand. The auction house is doing this through the 'Start2Berry' campaign. This offers three information sessions where farmers can learn what soft fruit can mean for their business.
"The Start2Berry info sessions convinced me", says Stefaan Pype. "In total, there are already twelve Fine Fleur producers who cultivate soft fruit. In this way, we can, via the auction house, respond even better to the needs of the wholesale sector. This has the added advantage of being local. Consumers are becoming increasingly more aware of using regional products. In this way, their ecological footprint is lessened. In the long run, this will mean more supermarkets will focus on (Western) Flemish products. This campaign will then, literally and figuratively, bear more and better fruit."