Ten years ago, overproduction on the Dutch market led to chicory grower Tonny Kraan relocating to Poland. "My wife is Polish which made things a little easier. And Poland was a nice growth market for chicory," says Tonny.
"It was hard in the beginning. We exported mainly to Germany, but gradually the local market sales grew. Biedronka was the first supermarket chain to carry our chicory; the rest followed. Now all Polish supermarkets run programs with us."
Chicory is quite a new product in the Polish market. "There's another large Dutch-run chicory farm right next to ours, but that's about it. We cultivate cost-plus here in Poland and have the same price all year," Tonny explains.
"We don't have the price fluctuations they have in the Netherlands and Belgium. Still, the current inflation is pressuring the market a bit. Chicory is a kind of luxury item in Poland. People now tend to choose cheaper products like carrots and cabbage, and particularly discounters are cutting down on their programs."
That is why Fresh Salad is looking further afield. "We try to grow a bit every year by further expanding the local market. But we also sell in Germany, which isn't far away. And we consider Italy a promising export market. The Netherlands and Belgium currently mainly serve that country. But we're just as far from Verona here in Poland. Plus, the acreage in France, also a major exporter to Italy, is shrinking significantly," Tonny continues.
Fresh Salad's chicory roots are all cultivated in the Netherlands and Belgium and sent, once or twice a week, by walking floor to Poland. "We have the capacity to deliver as much as 60 tons of chicory per week. We can also deliver red chicory, but we only do that to order. We sell the chicory mostly packaged, mainly with a tray in small packaging or flow pack of 500 grams."
“We can supply products like cut chives and sprouts to our customers too," Kraan says, "though chicory remains our core business." The grower also imports open-field vegetables like leeks and lettuce from the Netherlands and Belgium to supply to his Polish chicory clients.
Tonny has never regretted his move. "That's not to say it was always easy. But I'm delighted with the steps we've taken in Poland, which we'd like to expand further in the coming years," he concludes.
For more information:
Tonny Kraan
Fresh Salad
57 ul. Limanowskiego
47-300, Krapkowice, PL
Tel.: +48 690 091 842
Email: freshsalad.info@gmail.com
Website: www.freshsalad.pl/