The demand for apples is good for the time of year, but the quality is not going well this year. “A lot of large apples were picked this year and they are very sensitive to dots,” says Anthony Maes of Maes Fruitexpress. “There is also quite a bit of competition from Polish apples, especially the dark varieties such as the Red Prince. They hinder the sale of Belgian apples in France.”
“Because the apple trees were lightly laden this year, many large sizes were picked in Golden, Jonagold and Boskoop. These thick sizes are very sensitive to dots and the warm weather this summer also has negative consequences for storage. Although the trade is certainly not bad, we have quite a few complaints this season. The challenge for this season is to find good batches of apples,” says Anthony.
Prices
Because fewer apples were picked this year, prices for the regular sizes are at a high level. “For the good sizes of Jonagold you pay around € 1.20. That is 40 cents more expensive than last year,” Maes continues. “Prices for the thicker sizes are around 50 cents, but low for the time of year. There is simply no confidence in the big sizes. ”
Pears
“The pear market is also not good at the moment. Trade continues, but especially the small sizes are finding it difficult to sell. This puts some pressure on the kettle and the pears are cheap. Because there are still so many small sizes, the mid-range price is exceptionally low for Conference, even for the cleanest sizes," said Anthony.
Soft fruit
“In addition to apples and pears, we also sell a lot of soft fruit, but that season is coming to an end. Domestic small fruit is no longer available and currently it comes from Portugal. Strawberries are still available, but the supply is less. As a result, the prices are at a good level, for a tray of 500 grams you pay € 3.80 to € 4, -. Those are great prices,” Maes concludes.
For more information:
Anthony Maes
Maes Fruitexpress
Tavinkhovestraat 5
8850 Ardooie
+32 (0) 475 23 46 51
maes.fruitexpress@telenet.be