After a long, difficult period in sales, the broccoli market has finally picked up. "And that was much needed because it had been quite dramatic," says grower Martijn Verschuren from Raamsdonk, who grows broccoli with his brother Peter on an area of about 90 hectares.
"Currently, sales on the domestic market are still moderate, but exports have been going very well since Friday, so things are finally starting to look a bit more positive." The hot weather in recent weeks didn't help growers either. "In the last two weeks, we haven't been able to harvest much volume because of the heat, and the quality wasn't the best either," is the honest observation from the Brabant grower. "But this week, we started on a new field, and fortunately, the quality is already looking much better."
© Verschuren Broccoli
Broccoli on ice
Since 1 January 2024, the Verschuren brothers have decided to take charge of their own marketing. That decision has suited Martijn well. "We try to spread sales evenly. At the moment, it's mainly the exporters we're serving. A lot of broccoli is currently being shipped to Spain, for example, where it's far too hot right now. And the broccoli on ice is being sent all over the world. Last year, I felt exports in that segment were a bit weaker, but with the lower prices this year, demand has increased again. Selling prices for broccoli on ice are currently around 1.50 euros per kilo."
The acreage at Verschuren this year is similar to last year. "I think few broccoli growers are expanding; the uncertainties around labour and permitted inputs are simply too great," says Martijn. "However, we are trying to automate more and more. For example, we're now developing our own optical sorting machine (co-financed by Interreg). With this, we want to both save on labour and optimise quality. After all, I'm much more alert at 8 a.m. than at 5 p.m., and a machine doesn't have that problem. In a strong market, this often doesn't matter much, but in a weak market, you immediately feel the consequences."
For more information:
Martijn Verschuren
Verschuren Broccoli
Tel: +31 (0) 162 - 51 94 91
Mob: +31 (0) 6-13162918
[email protected]
www.verschurenbroccoli.nl
