A test year, is what Sil Moonen calls the current season for blueberries. "Normally we always say at the start of the Dutch season that the market will only pick up when the schools start again and everyone is back from their holiday. Now that many people are holidaying at home to a greater or lesser degree, things could turn out quite differently for us. For example, the UK market is an important market. Normally around 30% of the UK's 65 million residents go on holiday. If they now go to their supermarkets more, this could increase sales. "
The grower could make good use of this. "We have half the amount of berries to harvest this year as a result of the night frost. Fortunately, we have spread our production locations across the Northern Netherlands, the Southern Netherlands and Northern Germany (a total of 60 hectares), but it was Drenthe that suffered in particular. In this region it was almost 10 degrees below zero during the night of 10 to 11 May, I have never experienced damage like this before, and I am not alone, although the damage is extremely local, for example, in Roggel I have hail damage on one plot and on the plot 200 meters away there is nothing wrong. "
"At the moment, prices are also somewhat disappointing. From Eastern European countries, the market is currently flooded with blueberries, mostly free varieties, which have put prices under pressure. But when these are off the market, there may still be a shortage," the grower expects. "But it remains to be seen, because I heard that the first import berries from the southern hemisphere have already arrived in the country. But nothing is certain at this time. If a second Corona wave continues in South America, then the world will look very different again. "
For more information:
Sil Moonen
Berryfarm.nl 
Mortel 27
6088 AH Roggel
T: 0031 (0) 475-494727
F: 0031 (0) 475-491461
M: 0031 (0) 6 532 88 523
sil@silmoonen.nl