The Dutch celeriac trading sector is currently facing a dilemma. "We're very busy at the moment; that's not the problem. This year, both volumes and quality are excellent. This is, however, not yet reflected in higher prices. So, it's currently not cost-effective for growers," says Pierre Sweep of Sweep, a winter vegetable wholesaler.
"Then there are two choices. You can try to raise prices as quickly as possible. But that's risky because high prices could depress exports. For now, we're trying to export a lot of celeriac at the current prices. That's necessary, given the available volume. That's not great for farmers, but some years are just like this."
"Overseas supply and COVID-19 are both affecting the celeriac market. Fortunately, foreign stocks are starting to decrease, which creates a bit of space. Countries like Romania, Poland, but also Germany are now starting to run out of these products," says Pierre.
"We could put the brakes on now by asking a higher price. But then people might opt for lower-quality local batches. There are still enough smaller sizes available in Eastern Europe. But there's certainly room on the export market for specific sizes and quality."
"There are farmers who have lots of celeriac in storage. They now have to decide whether to sell some and wait with others," he continues. "This spread of sales seems sensible to me too. However, the Dutch celeriac sector is clearly recalibrating."
"I expect a ten percent decrease in acreage next season. That's in the Netherlands. It could be as much as 15% in Poland. There's a reason for this. Celeriac is an expensive crop. If you don't have a good relationship with your clients, growers turn to cultivating other crops," concludes Pierre.
For more information:
A&P Sweep
9a De Langeweg
4762 RA, Zevenbergen, NL
Tel: +31 (0) 168 327 750
Mob: +31 (0) 653 155 323
Email: pierre@sweep.nl
Website: www.sweep.nl