“Naturally growing conventional beets is never mentioned”

The organic beetroot is on the rise. In 2017, nearly half the total production of red beets in the Netherlands was organic. “However, conventional beets are also grown in a very natural way, and that’s actually never mentioned,” says Maikel Stam of Stam-Schaap Agro in Ursem, the Netherlands. The company is specialised in the production of red beets and invests in growing naturally and environmentally friendly. The increase in organic isn’t at the expense of conventional, according to Maikel. “I definitely don’t see that happening, environmentally friendly and organic production is often quite similar.”

Beets are part of the health trend that’s also on the rise within the fresh produce segment. “We’ve noticed that when you always supply a good and tasty product to your customers, this will result in new demand. They’re proper health bombs, something many consumers appreciate. You can’t argue about flavour, but they actually are delicious,” Maikel says, enthusiastically.

The colour of the beets means they do well in photographs, consumers inspire each other with recipes on social media, and beets do particularly well in salads and as carpaccio. Combined with yellow beets, the pictures look even better. “The coloured beets are a trend that can be seen to grow, but it’s a small market,” Maikel continues.

The increased demand for beets has resulted in a slight increase in the area, but it’s still a small market that fills up quickly due to overproduction. Schaap-Stam Agro BV has buyers in the Netherlands, and they export a lot to Eastern Europe. They’re seeing a slight growth in this, but export is very dependent on weather circumstances.