After a 'business as usual' start to the Dutch cucumber season prices increased to a reasonably to good level. "But even these were prices we really needed. It was definitely no gold mine" Jan Dortmans of the firm of Scherpenhuizen in Eindhoven stresses. After that prices decreased somewhat, the decrease gained in momentum slightly. In the meantime the price of the cucumbers is about 20 cents or a dubious danger zone.
"The decrease in price last week is the result of the cut cucumbers and the high shelf prices from where we started" Jan explains. For the time being we have had the peak in supply, however, and in the west of the country the first changes in cultivation have started, because everybody was producing. I expect during the coming week rather less than more cucumbers."
"However, in the week of Easter there is one selling day less, whilst the number of growing days remains the same. Therefore sufficient product will be available" Jan concludes. "The demand is healthy, however, and that is especially thanks to the actions brought by the two biggest discounters this week. That was necessary, because stocks would have been a lot bigger otherwise and sales had been a lot more difficult."
"However, in the week of Easter there is one selling day less, whilst the number of growing days remains the same. Therefore sufficient product will be available" Jan concludes. "The demand is healthy, however, and that is especially thanks to the actions brought by the two biggest discounters this week. That was necessary, because stocks would have been a lot bigger otherwise and sales had been a lot more difficult."