At Freshchoi, the season for Chinese vegetables from Dutch greenhouses has started again. "We are pleased to begin our own Dutch production again. The Spanish season for Asian leafy crops had its ups and downs due to flooding. This led to an inconsistent supply and high prices during the winter period," says Jan-Willem Schinkelshoek. "In winter, 80% of our supply comes from Spain and 20% from our own production. Now we are moving towards 100% own production."
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Freshchoi grows Asian leafy crops under glass in the Pijnacker region on an area of 12 hectares. Core products in the range for years have included Shanghai pak choi, choi sum, mini pak choi, tongho, ongchoi, and kai lan. "We have expanded slightly again this year," says Jan-Willem. According to the grower, the number of players in the Netherlands remains relatively stable. "You do occasionally see new entrants, but without established sales channels, it becomes difficult in this trade," he says.
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"Our main advantage is that we are fully specialised in Asian vegetables. With our own import lines from Asia, including Thailand, China, Vietnam, and Malaysia, covering both fruiting vegetables and mushrooms, we can offer a complete Asian product range. With this wide assortment, from eddoes to longan and durian, we serve both small and large customers worldwide. Dutch crops are a valuable addition to this package," Jan-Willem says.
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Freshchoi's sales are therefore mainly focused on foreign retailers and wholesalers. "Many Oriental supermarket chains are showing increasing sales. More and more people in Europe are adopting Oriental cuisine. That market has already grown considerably in recent years and is expected to continue growing in the coming years," Jan-Willem expects.
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The Dutch crop is now starting gradually and will reach its peak in June. "We will maintain this for about five months, after which we will largely switch back to imports."
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© FreshchoiFor more information:
Jan-Willem Schinkelshoek
Freshchoi
Lange Kampen 8
2641 KN Pijnacker
+31 (0) 654-396 136
[email protected]
www.freshchoi.com
