Dubai and Abu Dhabi may not be the first countries you think of when you think of winter vegetables. But, Mike Glas of Glas Groenten in Broek op Langedijk, in the Netherlands, has noticed kale exports to these countries increasing.
This company does not only trade in kale. They also sell Brussels Sprouts, which are currently selling well. "It is going quite well at the moment with the sale of Brussels Sprouts. The supermarkets are very busy with promotions. They are doing a lot to move this product. The same is true for kale sales too," says Mike.
Shortages due to dry weather and storm damage
Due to the dry weather, there are very few B-sprouts available, he explains. "The plants did grow, but the sprouts themselves did not get very big. There are, however, enough smaller A-sprouts for the supermarkets. There is a shortage of large sprouts, which are mostly destined for export to countries like Germany."
“The kale grew well. The dry weather did, however, set some farmers a week behind. Our own cultivation has all grown really well. Along the coast, several growers also had significant storm damage. Some of them lost more than ten hectares of kale. We had no problems with this since we are situated slightly more inland."
Stable prices
“Kale prices remain just about the same, especially for this time of year. Brussels Sprouts prices are also comparable to those of last year. The A-sprouts prices are a little lower at the moment. However, since there is a shortage of B-sprouts, these are slightly more expensive," says Mike. "The average price for these products is, therefore, at the same level as last year."
Mike is delighted with the kale exports, especially in the direction of the Middle East. "The overseas demand is actually excellent. The exporters we supply send the product to Dubai and Abu Dhabi. There they eat kale for the whole year. At first, these countries only wanted a few pallets per week. Now, they want several every day. Demand is skyrocketing there."
"Exports to Scandinavia are also still going well. There, too, they eat kale throughout the year. We hardly export any Brussels Sprouts. These mostly go to Dutch supermarkets. We also do not really supply wholesalers, even though there is currently high demand from that sector."
Superfood
“Demand for kale is also high in the Netherlands. We did see a few days of decline due to last weekend's good weather. People simply do not go shopping for winter vegetable when it is hot. However, we are not dissatisfied," Mike continues.
"Kale was declared a superfood. Since then, it has become a popular vegetable. Not only in America. The demand is growing in the Netherlands, and Europe too. At the moment, the demand is reasonably stable. There is still a hype. It is, however, not accelerating like it was two years ago."
Autumn has only just started. But it seems the Dutch are already getting ready for winter vegetables. "The two supermarket promotions for kale were not bad. People seem to be eating it already, which is a good sign. I did notice the demand for kale started very early. Also, from the wholesalers."
"I usually start making sales calls in the first week of September. Now, I already got calls in the last week of August. So, the demand started really early. That is only a good thing," Mike concludes, with satisfaction.
For more information:
Mike Glas
Glas Groenten
36 Dulleweg
1721 PM Broek op Langedijk, NL
T: + 31 (0) 226 313 981
F: + 31 (0) 226 320 245
info@glas-groenten.nl
www.glas-groenten.nl