The season has come to an end for the Rubis Gold apples at Devos Group. The company from Bekkevoort in Flanders has been increasingly focusing on this yellow, crispy variety in recent years, and this year they were able to work with a production total of around 400 tons for the first time. "It's still a learning process for us in every way, but together with our partners, both in cultivation and sales, we are continuing to write what can become a beautiful story. At the end of the day, we can certainly speak of a very positive season," says Louis De Cleene of Devos Group.
Since January 1, the apples have been on Belgian shelves and although the yellow apple still needs to gain recognition in Northern Europe, the trader sees this season as something to build on. "We have been increasing our production volume over the past few years, but all our regular customers, who have been with us from the start, have grown along with us, regarding revenues. All in all, we can even say that with a larger production, we were able to sell everything. And that's really all you can hope for in these early years. We started by selling the 'larger' sizes, for the 6-pack trays, but once these were sold out, we were also able to sell all the 'smaller' sizes in stock under different packaging, and even this was more successful than expected."
Snowstorm
"If we as a company do our job well and have everything under control, from the field through the fridge to sorting and marketing, this season has confirmed that the crispy, flavorful and dry apple can achieve what we had expected from the beginning," continues Louis. "We want to master it ourselves first, both cultivation and trade. Some of our best growers have already planted Rubis Gold, but we are currently producing mainly on our own land still. For us, there is now the great responsibility to really handle this process well and to realize its potential. I think you always have this responsibility as a company in a similar situation."
It wasn't all good news, however, Louis claims. "Don't get me wrong, many things went well, but there were also things that didn't go our way. For example, we had planned a big promotion with Lidl and Studio 100, but that turned out to be perhaps the worst week of the season in terms of retail sales. In the end, everything planned was sold, but expectations were that we could really make a splash, and unfortunately, that did not happen. The main reason was that that week, a severe snowstorm swept through the country, so many people decided not to go to the store that week."
Rubis Gold juice?
"Additionally, we also had to send a limited volume to the industry because we had harvested two plots too late. Those things happen. Still, we want to market the brand in the best way possible. It makes one very critical of the quality brought to the market and quicker to drop plots that do not meet these standards. We turned necessity into a virtue and did a little experiment with making our own juice from the Rubis Gold. Normally it goes by truck to the factory and you don't know where it ends up, but we experimented a pressing, with a fellow grower, which resulted in a particularly tasty juice. Perhaps we will do more with this in the future."
Despite still being in the midst of a learning process, the trader expects to expand volumes in the coming years. "Many trees are still in their first years of growth, so in the coming years we expect to meet the increasing demand. Various parties are trying to get our attention, for instance from the UK and Scandinavia. Ultimately, we can still speak of another beautiful season, with the Northern European market warming up to the yellow apple. We can build on that."
Overseas competition pears
Looking at the current situation regarding pears, Louis expects the season to come through. . "Conference pears have generally had a good year and are expected to end that way. The demand has remained. Yet traditionally, you see that during this period, some parties will leave and switch to imported fruit. However, this is offset by the fact that there is less volume on the market. What remains is then distributed over the lines that continue. This is not abnormal; it keeps the market balanced towards the summer months. Now, prices are gently starting to rise again, in a good way."
"It is noticeable that the pears in bulk are being sold for a very high price. On Monday they were still going for €1.18 and even €1.19 per kg. We are right on schedule ourselves. We know exactly what we still need to sell in the coming months and have the right pears for it. Everything is planned." He is not afraid of overseas competition. "There will always be competition. Overseas, there will always be positives and negatives. In the end, many people still prefer the Conference, a real classic and the favorite of many consumers, so we hope to get through the last months in a nice way and are also looking forward to the start of the cherries," Louis concludes.
For more information:
Louis De Cleene
Devos Group
Eugeen Coolsstraat 66
3460 Bekkevoort - België
+32 473 21 58 76
info@devosgroup.com
www.devosgroup.com