Violetti is a purple, pointed cabbage. TB&S introduced this new concept to the stores' vegetable aisle a few years ago. But, getting this new vegetable into stores is still quite challenging. So says general manager Coen Swager. "Currently, sales are mainly directed at wholesalers and retailers. And those are still mostly pallets. In recent years, retailers have been primarily focused on the top sellers. Things are, however, slowly shifting. Retailers want to distinguish themselves using different vegetables."
Coen Swager
"So, I remain optimistic about the Violetti's chances on the market. Supermarkets know about us. They just still have to take the step of reserving shelf space for this product." TB&S grows Violetti in the Netherlands. They do about 12 hectares for extended storage and seven for the fresh market. According to Coen, this year's yields were fairly good. "The first crop in July had an especially good yield. The later harvests were of poorer quality and less quantity. That was due to the dry, and then wet, weather."
TB&S cultivates white pointed, purple, and white cabbage in the Netherlands too. They also grow open field smaller lettuce varieties like Little gem, Romaine, and pak choi. "The white and purple cabbage season went well. We don't grow these for storage. They've thus all been sold already."
"We harvest from the third week of June until the end of September," Coen explains. "This season there was good demand, especially for purple cabbage. Especially Israel asked for plenty of Dutch cabbage. That's because, for religious reasons, they rest their soil every seven years."
TB&S does not only farm in the Netherlands. They also have a sizeable area in Alpiarca, Portugal. There they cultivate butternut squash, pointed cabbage, and savoy cabbage. "That's going well. We've been growing organic pointed cabbage and butternut squash In Portugal for several years. We've now started that in the Netherlands on a trial basis. It takes a few years to master organic farming. But there's a lot of demand for it. And we see plenty of opportunities to expand organic cultivation further," Coen concludes.
For more information:
TB&S
1 Vronermeerweg
Tel: +31 (0) 653 498 460
Email: info@spitskool.com
Website: www.spitskool.com
Website: www.violetti.nl