"It's not normal to be as busy as we've been in recent weeks. We may have harvested a record amount of cauliflower here in North Holland," says cauliflower grower Ruud Slagter of P.N. Slagter. This Dutch company grows cauliflower on 180 hectares and markets fellow growers' produce. "The weather's been very variable. First, it was warm, then wet, and then everything went into production all at once. Some growers are usually busier than others, but all the big growers in the region could deliver truckloads of cauliflower."
Demand for all that cauliflower was good too. "We, fortunately, had lots of exports. It's been way too hot in southern Spain, so we could export a lot, especially to that country. Despite the big harvest, we sold the cauliflower for €0.70 to €0.80 last week," Rudd explains. "That's an excellent price. No one had large stocks, which is a good thing. Hopefully, exports will continue for a while. The market has since sunk somewhat."
"Supplies will calm down in the coming weeks because most growers are ahead of schedule, and we've reached the peak. So far, it's been an excellent season. Although the spring growing season was difficult, cauliflower and broccoli pricing has been fantastic. Colored and Romanesco cauliflower sold well too. This summer's slightly cooler weather benefited cauliflower sales. Anything over 25°C is disastrous for us. And now that people are returning from vacation, they're craving a nice, healthy Dutch pot again," Ruud concludes.
For more information:
Ruud Slagter
Fa. P.N. Slagter
43 Kadijkweg
1619 PJ, Andijk, NL
Tel: +31 (0) 637 351 433
Email: ruud@pnslagter.nl
Website: www.pnslagter.nl