"Short term sales of celeriac in Germany not easy"

It is expected that celeriac consumption will increase due to the cold front moving over most of Europe. This will, however, make very little difference in the celeriac market. "Celeriac exports are higher than normal, but we are increasingly dependent on Eastern Europe as a market. Germany is investing heavily in regional programmes", according to Pierre Sweep of A&P Sweep from Zevenbergen in the Netherlands. This company is a specialist in the celeriac market. He considers this to be a worrisome development. "It makes us ever-more dependent on Polish and other Eastern European retailers. The Dutch market is 80 to 90% dependent on exports. The current situation means there will not be an increase in acreage used for cultivation, rather a decrease."

This year's celeriac market is distinctive in that it has large sizes and a lot of stock. "The larger bulbs harvested this year, in particular, are not what retailers want. When the Polish retailers adjust their specifications, I know we will sell a lot more. They, however, still want smaller sizes."

Prices for celeriac have been low the whole season due to the large supply, and unpopular sizes. "Below-cost prices are often paid. This is also the case with onions. There is a lot of stock which is, however, not the right size."

At the moment, truck after truck is crossing the border, says Pierre. Predictions for the second half of the season cannot be made. "Celeriac has always been less popular. There are signs that things will not be all bad. Celeriac's popularity throughout Europe is responsible for an increase in consumption. This is a very positive development for this root vegetable in 2018, according to a financial publication's trend watchers. So, not all indications are negative."

For more information:
A&P Sweep
9a De Langeweg
4762 RA Zevenbergen
Tel: +31 (0) 168 327 750
Mob: +31 (0) 653 155 323
pierre@sweep.nl
www.sweep.nl