At BerryBrothers, the last Dutch redcurrants from CA storage were sold early this month. "We look back on a good season. We have since switched to Chilean redcurrants. The quality is good, but overall, a quarter less arrived in Europe due to weather conditions during picking. Fortunately, enough has arrived at BerryBrothers to supply red berries year-round," says Teun van Zuilen.
"The supply of raspberries and blackberries is also increasing slightly again after Easter. Morocco has had a more challenging season, which is reflected in price and availability. Meanwhile, supply from Spain and Portugal is slowly picking up again. We are now gradually switching from Moroccan to Portuguese and Spanish raspberries and blackberries, which we have been sourcing from Portugal in recent weeks," Teun says. "The blueberry market has been fairly stable recently. Supply has been good. Over the coming weeks, additional producing countries will enter the market."
© BerryBrothers
Spanish Bachata strawberries
A new development is that BerryBrothers launched Spanish strawberries last season. "We carry the Bachata strawberry as an exclusive variety. This is a very good strawberry with a strong flavour, which suits our customers well. For us, this has been a valuable addition. Especially now that transport costs are rising, we can use strawberries to complete pallets efficiently. Our approach is not to sell full truckloads of strawberries immediately, but in the import season we can compete well, and in the Dutch season we work with a fellow grower in the area to supply our customers year-round."
"We see that our international customers are increasingly turning to us for a year-round soft fruit range. The recent period has been more challenging, and in such conditions, customers look for availability and reliability. They find that with us, through a single point of contact within the company, which is appreciated," says Teun. "In terms of sales, we have a good distribution across channels, with a current focus on the DACH countries. In the import season, the focus is on foodservice, while in the Dutch season, the split between retail and foodservice is fifty-fifty."
"Furthermore, we see that breeders are increasingly approaching us with new varieties," says the grower. "In raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries, we see the most variety development. With a product like redcurrants, development comes more from within, but we are willing to take that on as well."
"We also see that fellow growers are finding us more and more. We aim to buy from the top of the market. To guarantee that quality, you need a broad base of growers. That is why we work with a wide group of growers from different countries. They know our requirements, and this allows us to serve our customers consistently."
© BerryBrothers
Future-proof cultivation
© BerryBrothersMeanwhile, the Dutch season is about to begin. "We see that customers are eager to start again with Dutch greenhouse products after a more challenging import season, where we supply day-fresh," says Teun. "In our glasshouses, the raspberries, blackberries, and redcurrants are now in bloom, and we expect to start harvesting in mid-May. Growth is in good condition, so we are optimistic. This year, there is no expansion of acreage, but we have converted several plots to pot cultivation, in line with our focus on future-proof production."
"We want to continue growing fruit in 30 to 40 years. In a country with four seasons and varying weather conditions, this presents challenges, especially with a shrinking resource base. Growing support systems and climate-controlled rooms are becoming increasingly important. It also requires considerable effort to secure enough skilled labour. The first autonomous tractor has now been introduced. In early June, the second phase of our Agro-apartment, where 150 employees can live, will be completed at our Roggel site. With this, we are preparing for the future."
Whether new fruit varieties will be added in the coming years remains open. "We continue to monitor developments. We see kiwi berries and golden berries as interesting additions to our range, but both are difficult to grow in the Netherlands, and that is important for us as growers. We also have a strong preference for year-round products," says Teun van Zuilen.
For more information:
Teun van Zuilen
BerryBrothers
Nijken 18
6088 NR Roggel
Mob: +31 (0) 6 13 91 55 24
[email protected]
www.berrybrothers.nl
