“Low chicory production will be a trend this season”

Koos Groot, from chicory company Horti Hydro Cultures, is satisfied with quality now that he has had a chance to analyse the new chicory harvest, but he predicts scarcity on the market. Groot: “On average quality is good, but the productions are disappointing, we do not yet have the volumes. The chicories have been unable to ripen properly because of the persistent warm weather in September, which is why we now have so-called ‘young pens,’ which are far less productive.”

The young pens are good qualitatively. “They provide good, dry crops, and those are good for trade,” according to Groot. Demand was good in the past period. “Due to the shift from old to new roots, supply declined somewhat. When I look at the analyses from later strains, I expect this will be a trend; productions will remain somewhat lower during the entire season, which could possibly lead to a persistent scarcity on the market. Especially as we are heading towards Christmas, it could become a bit tense to see if we will have enough chicory.”

Chicory company Horti Hydro Cultures can easily shift its production because of a flexible cultivation system. The company is a member of the cultivator’s association, Quality Growers Holland. This packing company packages chicory for many supermarket chains both domestic and abroad.