Things are a bit quieter in the organic leek market at the moment. "With the Easter holidays currently underway in Flanders, we're seeing a slight dip in demand. There will also be less volume coming to market this week, so prices should hold for a while. Next week, when people return, demand will pick up again and we expect to continue effectively until the end of May," says organic grower Pieter Vandooren.
All in all, the grower from Hooglede, Flanders, looks back on the leek season with satisfaction. "In the autumn, things were a bit uncertain due to low demand, but winter started off well. It looks like we'll sell everything on time. So while there is a slight dip this week due to the Easter holidays, that's something we see every year. During the holidays, people who usually buy organic tend to take a break or don't think about it as much. I'm not sure if that's specific to organic, but it may be more noticeable for us because we work directly with customers who simply buy less during this period."
New cold store
"Still, everything will bounce back next week," Pieter continues. "Then the leeks will be harvested and people will return, which will boost demand. We had two small cold rooms and rented additional space elsewhere, but we're now putting the finishing touches on a new cold store for leeks and celeriac. We're also building ventilated storage for our pumpkins. The cold store should be ready by Monday, after which the leeks can be transferred there. The market will be fine again by then. I expect we'll clear everything in good time. It's always a balancing act for us. On the one hand, you want to sell quickly, but on the other, we need to have leeks available until the end of May to meet our retail commitments. That won't be an issue. After that, we'll pause leek production until August 1."
Pieter's new cold store
For the grower, the focus will then shift to other crops. "The celeriac is planted, the cauliflower is planted, and we also planted the first melons this week. We expect to start harvesting cauliflower from protected cultivation in mid-May. Everything is looking good so far. Hopefully, the summer won't be too dry. It's fine that it's a bit dry now, but I do hope things improve as the season progresses. We'll have to wait and see, but hopefully, it won't stay dry for six months straight."
For more information:
Pieter Vandooren
[email protected]