The Belgian pear market is well-balanced for now. "It was bustling until January, and things have slowed slightly more than expected. Supply and demand are still fairly balanced, though," begins Christophe Van Haelst of Van Haelst Fruit and VHM Fruittrade.
"It's been a fantastic season so far, but overseas pears have noticeably entered the market. That naturally means a larger supply than we had in January. However, the impact of these arrivals is limited. Belgium still holds a strong competitive position over the overseas fruit. Large supermarkets are getting involved, but thus far, that's not depressed the market. Conference pear sales keep running smoothly."
Quality-wise, there seem to be few to no problems yet. "With a few exceptions, everything looks excellent. It would be somewhat unfortunate to encounter quality issues this early. There were some problems with the last Lukassen pears and the Comice - which sold very well - had some issues with brown spots towards the end. We, however, up to now, have noticed nothing of the sort with Conference pears," says Christophe.
He adds that the demand in the export market also remains high, which keeps prices stable. "England is slightly softer, but orders continue coming from all directions. The good supply keeps prices solid. The fixed retail programs are at a nice level; even the free market should be quite satisfied. These aren't the prices we saw last May and June, but those were unprecedented. An additional 10 or 20 euro cents is always nice. We currently get 80 to 95 euro cents per unsorted box. Those are prices at which everyone can make a decent profit," Christophe explains.
The grower does not see the end of last season's high prices returning soon and advises people to remain calm as they approach the last months. "The big companies still have nice stocks, so we can probably make it to late July/early August. Prices could rise again in July, but that's pure speculation. It could go the other way, so let's keep calm."
"It feels like we're clearing well at the moment, so don't start over-packing. The quality is good and should remain so in the last months. We shouldn't force the market, as there's still a long way to go. If we all manage things wisely, we can slightly increase the price, but don't expect last year's prices," Christophe concludes.
For more information:
Christophe Van Haelst
Van Haelst Fruit
85 Kieldrechtsebaan
9130, Verrebroek, Belgium
Tel.: +32 (0) 33 36 16 47
info@vanhaelstfruit.be
www.vanhaelstfruit.be