Bouwe Piek in Geervliet, the Netherlands, started their sprout harvest yesterday. “We’ve never been this early before,” the grower says. Although the dry weather was definitely felt, the grower feels positive. “Fortunately we were able to irrigate, but the sprouts are much smaller and yields much lower. But that doesn’t have to be negative. Full cargoes often mean empty wallets.”
Besides, sprouts are hot, and sprout growers profit from this. “A few years ago, the sprout hype started in the US, and that has now shifted to Europe. Because of this, all lights are set to green. It’s not actually a winter vegetable anymore, our customers want sprouts year-round,” says Bouwe, whose sprouts are sold primarily in the UK and Scandinavia by Van Oers United.
The acreage expansion of 100 hectares in the Netherlands this year is therefore considered a direct response to the growing popularity of sprouts by Bouwe. “But this expansion doesn’t actually say anything about the season. When looking at the sprouts, this year’s yield will be lower than last year’s.”