The new top fruit season is ready to start. At the moment it is still quiet and the first summer varieties are being picked. The early varieties Durondeau and Triumph de Vienne are being harvested at the moment and marketed in Belgium. With apples it is mainly Delbaere.
"Everybody wants to start and normally seen this start of the harvest is already late" a trader tells. "All in all we are about three weeks later than last year. It has been very quiet in the market for a long time and we notice that the volumes are starting to arrive. At the moment things are not stable, but we expect that good prices for pears will be obtained this season. Less pears are expected in the whole of Europe, therefore this can only be good."
"Also for the summer varieties of apples, such as Delbare, picking is in full swing. A good quantity is on the market at the moment, also from the old harvest. The better known varieties, such as Elstar and Jonagold will be picked in a few weeks time. For Delbare good prices are given, they were close to a Euro. There is a good demand." He is not as optimistic about the apple year as the pear season. "This has mainly to do with Poland, which has an enormous production this year. It is expected that this will force down the European prices.