"Terrible" is how Dennis Blankendaal of Frysk Witlof typifies that recent chicory market situation. "Prices have been awful but are slowly recovering somewhat. French growers seem to be blaming the pandemic. But when it began, chicory was in short supply. So, who knows?"
"Sales are now being planned in Belgium. I hope the market will pick up more. But I don't dare predict anything. For good consumption, the weather needs to be even colder. There's been a lot of rain, but it hasn't all that cold yet. There are also plenty of pens at present. I think production did fall in September/October; the pens just weren't growing."
"Fortunately, in these times, we can rely on good, regular clients. We, in turn, are there for them in good times. That's now proving valuable. We also focused more on exports. But Italy is now flooded with cheap French chicory. Then it's better to put everything on hold and do nothing for a while," says the Dutch chicory packer.
Frysk Witlof harvests 250 to 280 hectares of Dutch and Belgian-grown chicory annually. That makes it the largest company of its kind in the Netherlands. It has 18 processing lines at its disposal. During peak times, these can handle a capacity of 200 tons a week. They are going to further automate their harvesting processes. This work will begin in late January.
Another Dutch company, Reijnpack, recently introduced a robotized packaging line at its site. That is, for now, a step too far for Frysk Witlof. "We prefer a simple, straightforward machine. What Reijnpack has realized is great; they're gutsy. But from a cost and maintenance perspective, we choose a different solution. Everything often runs well on a new line. But as it ages, it must keep running smoothly," Dennis concludes.
For more information:
Dennis Blankendaal
Frysk-Witlof B.V.
12 Frjentsjerterdyk
8855 XC, Sexbierum
Tel: +31 (0) 517 592 772
Mob: +31 (0) 683 986 424
Email: Dennis@frysk-witlof.nl
Website: www.frysk-witlof.nl