“Belgian pear stocks are declining sharply. We're going in the right direction," says Louis De Cleene from Devos. "For a moment, there was even some confusion. The stocks had suddenly decreased a lot. That was compared to what was being said all year long. That gave a positive, much-needed impulse to pricing. The open-market auction season for pears is almost over."
"Soon, it'll be mainly larger export companies selling pears. These can deliver until the end of the season. We're, of course, part of this select group and usually keep going the longest. This year we should be able to supply our customers all year round. There have been limited amounts of small sizes. That's for a few weeks now. And they're highly prized on the market."
Pear prices are reasonable. "They're certainly not where they need to be yet. But it's better than it's been. The 70 and 80 sizes are going for between €0.80 and €0.90. However, last year even the small sizes were easily being sold for €1. That's not even mentioning the large grades. But these are usually difficult weeks anyway," says Louis.
"Stores are getting summer fruit. That always puts some pressure on the top fruit market. The market should, hopefully, rebound somewhat soon. Especially now that stocks are falling. The weather and the ongoing corona crisis continue to cause uncertainty. I can only repeat that eating pears benefits the immune system."
“Apples are a whole other story. They're easy to sell. And the smaller ones are particularly popular. Everyone knew there'd be few Belgian apples available. Even before the season started. That was because of the frost and hail in April and May. Some sizes and qualities fall outside the retail segment requirements. These are currently facing some challenges. But overall, we're happy with this apple season," concludes Louis.
For more information:
Louis De Cleene
Devos Group
66 Eugeen Cools Street
3460, Bekkevoort, Belgium
Tel: +32 (0) 167 79 758
Email: louis@devosgroup.com
Website: www.devosgroup.com