By Gertrude Snoei
Photo report wholesale market Antwerp
According to the over 20 stall holders there was mainly demand for summer fruit that day. "Stone fruit and melon are very popular with this weather", was an often heard comment. Kurt Verhaegen of Wholesale Verhaegen said that the customers mainly asked for nectarines and melons. Some products drew less attention due to the hot weather. "An example is chicory", says Yves Lesage of the wholesaler of the same name. "This is always calmer in the summer, but is eaten all year round." Potato supplier Karel van Moer also noticed that there was less demand for potatoes. "We used to only offer home grown potatoes, but now we sell all kinds, including imported potatoes."
There are a number of growers at the wholesale market that sell their products themselves as well. One of the few is Jozef van den Berg who growers garden cherries and various kinds of lettuce. "I've been doing it for years but it's becoming harder as a grower", he admits.
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There are many 'old hands in the trade' like him. Such as Moniek Andries of Andries CV. "I've been active in selling tomatoes for 47 and I still enjoy doing it", she says enthusiastically. "There difference between now and then is that it's a lot calmer on the market." André Maes of Maes en Zonen is someone who has been doing is job for over 45 years with passion. "I mainly sell pears and strawberries and I love it. We also have a transport company and at night I sometimes drive a truck."
Besides older traders, there are also traders of the younger generation present at the Antwerp wholesale market. An example is Tim Yzewyn of Yzewijn & Co, "I've been on the market with our extensive fruit and vegetables assortment for around 9 years now." The young trader send out his promotions through Facebook and is very active on this social media. "Our customers can be found there and it's fun to go with the times", he laughs.