Last week, the Belgian blueberry season was officially opened at Frans Schrijnwerkers' farm, but this week marks the real start of commercial picking. It's shaping up to be a promising season, with Belgian producers optimistic that the newly launched joint marketing initiative between BelOrta and Coöperatie Hoogstraten will help them gain a stronger foothold in the market. "It's not always easy, but through process optimisation and economies of scale, we hope to reduce production costs on one hand and improve our selling price to retailers on the other," says the grower from Oudsbergen, Flanders.
Frans and Ruth Schrijnwerkers' blueberry farm traces its roots back to 1969, when Frans' father, Rob, planted the first blueberry plot. What began as an experiment in response to the fruit crisis turned into a success story. Both sons saw a future in blueberries: The eldest, Leon Schrijnwerkers, gradually took over the original farm in the Netherlands, while Frans decided to branch out across the border in the early 1990s, acquiring land in Gruitrode, Belgium. The first harvest there took place in 1992. "Initially, we operated in partnership with the parent company, but later became fully independent as a production company. Today, we cultivate blueberries on approximately 16 hectares, with 95% of the crop picked by hand. We also have a partnership with a fellow grower who cultivates 4 hectares of blueberries and 7 hectares of raspberries. Eventually, we plan to add strawberries to our range as well," Frans explains.
Rain is good for berries
First things first, however, the focus is now on the new season, with picking having officially started this week. "It looks good," he continues. "We have a good fruit set. The berries are beginning to size up nicely. It's been a bit dry, which was challenging during the growing period; however, growth is now on track. The foliage is a healthy colour. While the nights have been somewhat cold, we've had some rainfall again, and the plants are responding well to it, so all in all, things are looking promising. It's a good harvest, so we're going full steam ahead."
The Limburg grower is always among the first to start harvesting. "We have 1.5 hectares under cover. That makes us about three weeks earlier than most outdoor growers. Besides some protection, there aren't many major benefits to covered cultivation, but it's nice to be able to kick off the season early. We like to get started promptly and offer local blueberries to consumers as soon as possible. Picking has now begun and will continue through to mid or late September."
Marketing
From this season, the combined blueberry volumes of BelOrta and Coöperatie Hoogstraten are being centrally marketed through BelOrta. With this cooperation, the two cooperatives aim to give Belgian blueberries a stronger market presence and ensure that this local product is well-represented in Belgian retail, wholesale, and specialty stores. According to Frans, who is affiliated with BelOrta, it's a smart move. "We've always had strong contact with fellow growers, including those from Coöperatie Hoogstraten. Together, we account for about 95% of the Belgian blueberries found on store shelves. Still, we remain a small player in the retail and specialty segment."
"There's a lot of competition. Wage indexation in Belgium hasn't made things easier for us. Since COVID, the challenges have only increased. Compared to Poland, the wage gap is slowly narrowing, but only slightly. In relation to Ukraine, Serbia, Turkey, and Morocco, the gap is still vast, and since transport costs represent only a small portion of the total, it's very difficult to compete. Through cooperation, we aim to make a stand with local products. By optimising processes and achieving economies of scale, we hope to cut production costs and improve retail pricing. In the past, cooperatives were sometimes pitted against each other, but now we can jointly promote our fantastic product and launch campaigns, such as the Smurf campaign we're introducing with this blueberry season."
Weather sensitivity
Still, Frans acknowledges that challenges remain. "Blueberries are simply a very sensitive crop. There's nothing you can do about that. Most of our acreage is outdoors, so we're always at the mercy of the weather. Just last weekend, for example, there was a major hailstorm that just missed us, but I heard many colleagues were hit hard. These weather extremes make cultivation even more challenging, but we always try to stay positive. The spirit is still strong, and we're far from discouraged. We're really looking forward to the season again, and challenges like these only make it more important that we join forces."
For more information:
Frans Schrijnwerkers
Blauwe Bessen Fam. Schrijnwerkers 
Oudsbergerweg 121
3670 Oudsbergen, Belgium
Tel +32 (0)89 85 89 33
[email protected]
www.blauwebessen.be