In about a week, Chinese cabbage will enter full production in the Netherlands. “For the moment, the volumes are relatively limited. We are just coming out of a production dip that usually lasts through spring and summer, but we should now be back on track until next spring,” explains Rémi Drussé, account manager at Hoogsteder.
The white color is a key criterion for French consumers
The Brassicaceae sold by the Dutch company are mainly grown in the southeast of the Netherlands, where the climate is ideal for their cultivation. “Temperatures are much milder than in southern Europe, which is ideal for Chinese cabbage grown in open fields. For the moment, the quality is very satisfactory, but we are still waiting for the vegetable to be quite white before marketing it on the French market, where color is a key criterion. We always wait to get the quality we want as we do not want to disappoint our clients.”
Various packaging sizes
Hoogsteder sells its products to supermarkets throughout France, as well as to wholesale markets like the Rungis market. “It is a product that is easy to export, because it holds well and does not deteriorate over time. We offer different types of packaging to suit our clients’ needs. For supermarkets, we prefer bare cabbage in IFCO boxes or wrapped in a paper band, in order to limit the use of plastic, a transition prompted by the AGEC law. For wholesale markets, we sell them in cardboard boxes of 8 pieces (between 800g and 1kg per piece), or wrapped in plastic for better preservation.”
A vegetable that has already found its place on the French market
In terms of consumption, Chinese cabbage has already found its place in French eating habits. “Of course, there is room for improvement, but consumption is already high. It is a relatively popular product, especially in Asian cuisine. In fact, we never have any trouble selling this product. Orders keep coming in and the demand is always good. Whatever we are able to produce will be sold to our clients.”
For more information:
Rémi Drussé
Hoogsteder
Phone: (+31) 6 27 02 61 03
r.drusse@thegreenery.com