On Wednesday, 20 February, the first Kwanza raspberries of the season were auctioned off at the Zaltbommel Auction House in the Netherlands. The first premier box was delivered by Zachtfruitkwekerij Simons BV.
There, at his soft fruit nursery in the Dutch town of Schijndel, René Simons grows red currants and blackberries under roofs. He also has an innovative cultivation of Kwanza, with LED and assimilated lighting. The goal of this kind of high-tech farming is for René to be able to provide high-quality, Dutch-grown Kwanza year round.
Special Fruit bought this first batch of Kwanza. This company is from Meer, which is just over the border in Belgium. They made the purchase via a broker, Harry Aarts, for the top price of €46 per box of 125 grams.
The Zaltbommel Auction House supplemented this amount to €1.000. The Auction House and Zachtfruitkwekerij Simons donated this money to the 'SamenLoop voor Hoop' charity event.
'SamenLoop voor Hoop' is an event held to help in the fight against cancer. People, including those who are suffering from the disease, will take part in a 24-hour walking relay. This event is to take place at several locations throughout the Netherlands.
One of René Simons' past employees, Bart van der Bruggen, will be taking part. He will be walking with the “Pinternationals and Friends” team. They will take part in the event in the town of Esch op 31 August and 1 September.
The Kwanza season has now begun and should continue until the end of the year. Besides the Kwanza, the Zaltbommel Auction House has a total product package of Dutch-grown products. Greenhouse asparagus have been on auction for two weeks now. On Wednesday, besides the raspberries, the first cucumbers of the season were also sold.
Kwanza holds a prominent position among soft fruit. It is a market leader in the Dutch raspberry sector. People were invited to come and taste these raspberries. They were available at the Zaltbommel Auction House's stand, number K132, at the HoritContact trade fair. Today is the last day of his trade show, which was held in Gorinchem, the Netherlands.
Veerle Baets from Special Fruit, René Simons from Zachtfruitkwekerij Simons BV, and broker, Harry Aarts
Special Fruit is especially pleased that, with the purchase of these first Dutch Kwanzas, they can support a great initiative at the same time. It is also the starting point of a good collaboration between the Zaltbommel Auction House and Special Fruit which was spearheaded by the Kwanza.
The Kwanza is cultivated under lights. Currently, it is doing well in the hospitality market. Its popularity in this market is thanks to its large size and excellent taste. It also has a lovely color and form. Special Fruit is one of the Kwanza suppliers on the market. They offer this variety throughout the year. They also link the Southern European market to the Dutch market.
Veerle Baets from Special Fruit with Bart van der Bruggen, who is holding the first yield's cheque
For more information:
Jan Willem Tolhoek
Veiling Zaltbommel
+31 (0) 418 579 911
jtk@veilingzaltbommel.nl