The first months of 2020 were a great period for the chicory market. The prices are around € 2.50 and € 2.80 per kilo. “We have had a small dip in the prices, but in general the growers have received a nice price for their product and a lot of money has been earned. That is nice for once. Nevertheless, I personally prefer a lower but stable average price for the whole year,” says Bart Bruyninckx of the eponymous chicory company.
“The situation has now been turned upside down because of the coronavirus. There is certainly some volume going to the supermarkets, but a large part of our mini chicory normally goes to the catering industry. Unfortunately, that market is currently closed. The importance of spreading risk is becoming very clear in these times,” says Bart. “If we look at the current auction prices for chicory, we see that there is still a considerable decrease. € 1.20 per kilo is a great price in May. People are at home, have to cook for themselves and then they like to opt for a beautiful Belgian product. ”
“Despite the measures we had to take, we were able to continue working well. We quickly made adjustments, such as placing screens, so that we were quickly at the normal production level. We also did not suffer from staff shortages. I think we have been saved for a while with the measures taken by the government to retain the foreign workers,” concludes Bruyninckx.
For more information:
Bart Bruyninckx
Bruyninckx 
Schuttersveldstraat 7
3272 Messelbroek
+32 (0) 475 842 759
bruyninckx@minwitloof.be
www.minwitloof.be