The celeriac market is currently experiencing good prices, with positive signals for the coming period. "Belgium is already out of stock, and Germany is nearly empty, giving the Netherlands a strong starting position," says Pierre Sweep. Celeriac is a prime export product, and according to the Zevenbergen-based trader, it is reaching increasingly distant markets. "Germany was initially the main market, followed by Poland, Romania, and the Czech Republic, but nowadays, we literally export to every country in Europe."
Meat substitute
Current free-market prices are around 65 cents per kilo. "That's a solid price, and it's creating some tension for our Eastern European customers," Pierre observes. "On top of that, celeriac prices have been high for the past three years, which will certainly have consequences for the coming season. At the same time, the market is growing. Thanks to its firm texture, celeriac is increasingly being used as a meat substitute. This growth isn't explosive but is steady and consistent."
Sweep, who in recent years invested in a new storage facility where tubers are stored in bulk up to 7 meters high, had a good crop this year. "That was partly due to luck," Pierre admits. "All the major players in the Netherlands serve specific market segments. We specialize in slightly larger tubers, which we supply to German soup package producers, among others. Our planting schedule is slightly ahead of the market, starting in the second half of April, whereas many other growers don't start planting until mid-May. Last year, heavy rainfall caused significant delays for those who planted later."
In addition to Dutch celeriac, Sweep also sources Belgian and German celeriac throughout the year, with the latter often sold regionally. "Current stocks are not large, but they're sufficient to last until the end of the season. Moreover, the quality this year is outstanding. We won't run out of tubers and expect a healthy overlap between the old and new harvests."
Kohlrabi
Another product group where Sweep has seen significant growth in recent years is kohlrabi. "It's a 'new kid on the block' for us. This crop was previously grown mainly in the northern provinces, but we've now expanded into this area. We currently cultivate kohlrabi on about 60 hectares, making us the biggest player in the market. It might seem like an easy crop, but it's not—it took us years to master it."
"Last year, we ran out of kohlrabi faster than expected and had to import supplies from the UK. This year, we're again running tight, but we're trying to extend the season as much as possible. At this point, we sell around 3,000 tonnes of kohlrabi annually. These may not be staggering numbers, but when we started, I didn't think we'd get this far. It's also a valuable addition to our crop plan, especially considering the declining interest in chicory and sugar beet."
Hans van Kemenade and Pierre Sweep among the carrots
"Our sales are diverse—about a third goes to the fresh market, while the rest is destined for industry and cutting plants. Our background in industrial supply has contributed to our success with kohlrabi. At best, only half of the harvested kohlrabi is suitable for the fresh market. Since we can select the best batches for fresh sales from our industrial harvest, we start from a much stronger position than if we had to rely solely on fresh market production."
For more information:
A&P Sweep
De Langeweg 9a
4762 RA Zevenbergen
Tel: +31 (0)6 53 15 53 23
[email protected]
www.sweep.nl
