"After a poor year for tomatoes change in next years acreage not unthinkable"

The domestic greenhouse season is almost over and according to Benny Cuypers, Belgian growers can look back satisfied. "Except for the tomato growers, who have had a dramatic year. Here and there it's been better for some speciality types, but overall it was terrible. Luckily this was not the same story for all products. Take aubergines, for example, they have had a normal year, with its ups and downs. Peppers have also had an average to good season and for the first time in a long time, cucumbers have finally had a satisfactory year. All in all, it wasn't fabulous but the season went well. Peppers and cucumbers had a smaller cultivation area, but with aubergines it was larger."

All in a heap
"With tomatoes it was so bad that some portions were even destroyed. The main reason was increased demand and this year the Spring was late so the season began all at once." Benny indicates that there are still tomatoes on the market. "We will continue with the last produce until mid December/Christmas, then the Autumn crop until January/February. Over the last few days there has been a slight improvement in the market but to say that it is wonderful, would not be the case. The price for vine tomatoes see-saws around the 70-80 cents mark. Loose tomatoes, dependant on the size, also go for between 75-95 cent."

We will have to wait and see what the outcome will be for next year. "We still don't know what the total area will be. There could be changes and some growers might stop, but we won't know for sure until the New Year. It is, of course, not unthinkable that after such a poor tomato year that there may be changes to come in the greenhouse sector."

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