Last week, Coöperatie Hoogstraten festively opened the strawberry season, and this was accompanied by the auctioning off of a crate of strawberries for charity. The strawberries were sold to Delidis for €500 per 500 grammes. The amount was doubled by Coöperatie Hoogstraten, and Maaike Cafmeyer of Ups & Downs accepted the cheque. Ups & Downs is an association for people who are bipolar or chronically depressed.
Max Verheijen and Jef van Echelpoel of Delidis with their recently purchased strawberries.
“Not a flourishing year”
Before the auction, Coöperatie Hoogstraten held a press conference during which they looked back on 2018 and presented their plans for 2019. “2018 wasn’t the most flourishing year we ever experienced. Last year is characterised by the long and warm summer, and the poorer setting of fruit caused a reduction in product turnover of 6 to 7 per cent. As a result, we didn’t achieve 30,000 tonnes for strawberries, and pricing made some odd jumps during the summer period,” says Luc Bruneel. The number of producers remained stable, in part because of new growers from Zundert. The area of tomato specialities increased by 10 per cent, to 107 hectares. The cooperative has also expanded its illuminated production of strawberries (+1.7 hectares) and tomatoes (+13 hectares).
Luc Bruneel
Projects 2019
“In 2019 we’ll be dedicated to the short supply chain and supplying strawberries year-round by means of LED, as well as to the diversification of Sonsation and Limalexia strawberries. We’ll also be dedicated to radio, television and social media campaigns, and the cooperation with chef Roger van Damme,” Luc says. “In 2019, we’ll also introduce a first by offering our Gold strawberries in cardboard punnets.”
Gaston Opdekamp opens the auction for the first strawberries.
Coöperatie Hoogstraten’s tomato area increased by 10 per cent to 187 per cent. “More than 50 per cent of this area is meant for flavour tomatoes. Besides, we think it’s important to emphasise we have flavour tomatoes for various moments of use. We have these wonderful and local products available year-round. We’re also dedicated to less packaging for our tomatoes, by using less plastic and reducing the packaging weight,” Luc concludes.
Luc Bruneel talks to chef Roger van Damme.
For more information:
Coöperatie Hoogstraten
Loenhoutseweg 59 (Kluis Z.1 - 1050)
2320 Hoogstraten, Belgium
+32 33 40 02 11
sales@hoogstraten.eu
www.hoogstraten.eu