"Netherlands: "Fluctuating pricing structure with strawberries"

From the beginning of this season, there has been talk about a very strong fluctuation with strawberries. According to Boudewijn van der Wal from the Zaltbommel Auction, this is due to two factors. "The quality of the foreign crops has not been consistent due to the rain. This is sometimes causing quality issues. Covered crops are more desired. There is quite a difference between the two. Our growers have almost exclusively covered crops."

Overlap and gaps

One of the other reasons for fluctuating prices is the fact that various crops are overlapping each other at the moment. Due to the temperatures, crops are ready at the same times but sometimes it also causes gaps. When there is shortage the prices rise sharply and then fall again when overlapping occurs. We can then conclude that the price structure is very unstable at the moment. The average price is around 1.70/1.80 per 500 grams at the moment and that is a good price for now."

Boudewijn expects that prices will increase in the coming weeks because of the nice summer weather. "September is the month for tunnel cultivation and we expect it to be busy. The growers have received decent average prices last week and hopefully this trend will continue."

For more information:
Boudewijn van der Wal
Veiling Zaltbommel
Stationsweg 28
5301 KH Zaltbommel
Tel.: 0031 418 57 99 11
Fax: 0031 418 57 92 13
www.veiling-zaltbommel.nl