The new season of organic strawberries is almost upon us at Ecodal - Kestemont. Last year, BelOrta began marketing organic strawberries for the first time. Organic is now a common option in many product groups, but among strawberries, organic availability has been harder to find. Still, the horticultural company from Lennik, Flanders, which has been supplying organic strawberries to the cooperative alongside another grower since last year, has actually been active in organic strawberry cultivation for more than 20 years. "It's a challenging crop, where everything can sometimes go against us, but when things go well, it's definitely worth it," says Wim Krieckemans of Ecodal - Kestemont.
The horticultural business began modestly in 1982, founded by Francis Kestemont, one of the pioneers of organic farming. He was later joined by his brother Eddy in 1986 and his son Lias in 2010. Wim, Francis' son-in-law, also joined the company a few years ago. Today, they grow a wide range of organic fruits and vegetables on about 20 hectares. "We grow tomatoes, cucumbers, and aubergines on about 2 hectares under glass. In the tunnels, we cultivate leafy crops, strawberries, and courgettes on about one hectare, and the remaining open-field acreage is used for a broad variety of vegetables—from lettuce and parsley to leeks."
Start within a week or two
With spring sunshine and rising temperatures, the strawberry season is now approaching at the organic farm. "We cleaned everything up at the beginning of the month—removed the weeds from winter and early spring, adjusted the flower setting, and released the bees for pollination. We should start harvesting within a week or two, with peak production in May and June. Those are the real strawberry months, and if the weather cooperates, the prospects look good. After that, we'll also harvest some everbearers that produce into July and August."
On the marketing side, both Wim and Gunther De Vadder (of BelOrta's organic department) point out that it's always a waiting game. "You see a lot of locally grown organic strawberries, especially as many growers treat them as an in-between crop. During certain periods, organic strawberries are sold on every corner. Even a slight oversupply can cause difficulties," says Gunther. Wim adds: "It's different every year. For example, last year, a fellow grower had major issues with disease pressure, leading to a very poor harvest. But for us, it was a fantastic year in terms of production, so demand was high and almost all our volumes sold quickly."
"This year, we're seeing that some plants came through the winter well, while others didn't," Wim continues. "So we've lost some acreage, but what did survive looks excellent. If we can get everything harvested in the next few weeks without rain or hail, I expect a strong season. The only risk is if too much product hits the market at once. Normally, we harvest outdoor strawberries in the second half of May, but this year we'll start two weeks earlier because it's been so dry. If tunnel-grown strawberries also come early, as they usually start in early May, then a market glut could put pressure on prices."
Difference in seasons
That's a challenge Wim is all too familiar with. "It's a tough crop. We order the plants in March, plant them in August, and then harvest in May. So you invest money for a year and a half before seeing any return, and there's no guarantee of success. I'm in my fourth year now. Last year was wet, but the quality, production, and prices were great. The year before, it was extremely dry, so everyone harvested at the end of April. That led to such low prices that we were almost better off not picking the strawberries at all and leaving them in the field."
That commercial uncertainty is also something Gunther is addressing: "I wouldn't call it a cutthroat market, but you can't sell organic strawberries without a plan. You can't simply shift extra volumes into the standard organic sales channels. That's why we started building with more certainty last year. For instance, we added a UK customer, and now we have three main buyers—in the Netherlands, Belgium, and the UK—plus a few organic stores here and there. This lets us offer our growers more stable sales at good prices."
And that stability is essential, says Wim. "In the past four years, seasonal labour costs have risen by 40 per cent. On top of that, prices for plants, fertilisers, and energy are going up. If strawberry prices don't rise accordingly—or if you have a year with almost no harvest—it quickly becomes a tough situation. So right now, we're really trying to figure out what's still profitable and what isn't."
For more information:
Wim Krieckemans
Ecodal
Slagvijver 25
1750 Lennik, Belgium
Tel: +32 497 570 266
[email protected]
www.ecodal.eu