BelOrta kicked off the asparagus season today with the sale of the first Belgian asparagus. Groothandel Sebrechts from Antwerp was the first to print and received the first crates. This year too, the first sales are linked to a good cause. Sebrechts bought the first asparagus at €240 per tray and BelOrta is increasing the amount so that five charities can each receive €1,200.
“The asparagus that we bought are really the first Belgian ones available at Veiling Belorta. They were supplied by Marja van Dessel from Den Boschkant. Despite the snow and the cold temperatures, we notice that there is already a demand for asparagus,” says Nathalie Sebrechts of the wholesale company of the same name. “People have been eating the same vegetables for so long and are looking forward to something new. The asparagus supply will slowly start, but large volumes are not expected until the beginning of April. ”
Marja Van Dessel (Den Boschkant), Roger De Wachter, Nathalie Sebrechts (Fruithandel Sebrechts) & Jo Lambrecht (BelOrta)
The wholesaler has had a busy morning due to the weather conditions. “We cleared the snow and ice from everything and we had good sales. It seems as if everyone has stocked up against the cold days and icy roads this weekend. Yet we do not expect very busy days. With this weather, I think fewer vendors will enter the market. The retailers will probably be a bit busier because of Valentine's Day. Traditionally we see the sales of small fruit increase around this day, but due to the weather, orders are still a bit behind,” says Nathalie.
“We do see that take-away is picking up considerably. There are more and more providers on the market. Even cafes are offering a take-out menu”, Nathalie continues. “Many breakfast baskets are being offered for Valentine's Day, which means that we are selling a lot of pressing oranges, for example. There is still a lot of choice in citrus, the quality of the grapes is great, so there is plenty of choice for individuals. However, a large supply of imported products is expected on the market in the coming weeks, so we hope that demand will pick up even further. ”
“In January the prices of both the import and the Belgian products were very expensive, sometimes even more expensive than during the festive period. This is really rare, but due to the bad weather conditions in Spain, the supply of vegetables was very limited, resulting in sky-high prices. Despite this, sales of these products remained good. Fortunately, everything has now stabilised and the market is more balanced,” Nathalie concludes.
For more information:
Nathalie Sebrechts
Groothandel Sebrechts
Kielsbroek 4
2020 Antwerp
+32 (0)3 237 41 92
info@sebrechts.be