Considerable growth in field lettuce and alternative lettuces for fresh cut

West Flanders has been known for its open ground vegetables for years, mainly due to the large volumes of leeks, cabbages, celeriac and sprouts. The region is in full development in the area of horticulture. More and more greenhouse vegetables have been finding their way to the fresh market through the REO Veiling. Growers play into the demand on the market for convenience products in this. According to Wendy Lefevre of the REO Veiling the cultivation of field lettuce and alternative lettuces has grown hugely in recent years. "This product is increasingly in demand. They mainly go to cutters in various countries in Europe and are processed for fresh cut," says Wendy.

Wendy Lefevere during the Agro Expo Vlaanderen.

Inventory
Wendy started with REO Veiling in 2009, when the demand for vegetables for the fresh cut was starting to develop. She, along with her colleague Isabel Ingelbrecht, is active as a kind of 'mediator' between growers and cutters who buy the product. "We function as a buffer between growers and buyers. "Every Tuesday we inventory the availability of the leafy crops for the week after. This information is communicated to the buyers structured. We also guide growers of the fourth range products and closely follow what developments take place in the areas of new varieties. We have a pivotal role in general," according to Wendy.

Security in price
The field lettuce and alternative lettuce varieties intended for the fourth range go for a set price. "This way the grower has security in price and the buyer knows what they have to pay. For growers looking for a fixed income these are ideal products to grow. At the moment 37 producers grow for fresh cut, of which 12 with field lettuce. This offers the growers looking for alternative leafy crops for the fresh market an alternative where desired."

Wendy mainly sees a growth in field lettuce. "The first year I worked for REO Veiling, we did 2000 kilos per week of field lettuce for the fourth range and in 2015 it was 21,000 kilos per week. That's a huge increase and we continue to work on a steady growth. A lot of consumers used to buy regular lettuce. Nowadays, many want it cut in a bag. Especially the younger generation wants this for 'ease'. We want to play an active role in supplying this segment in the market as a modern producers organisation, together with the producers."

For more information:
Wendy Lefevere
REO Veiling
Oostnieuwkerksesteenweg 101
8800 Roeselare, Belgium
Tel: +32 (0)51 231 211+32 (0)51 231 211
Fax: +32 (0)51 231 289
info@reo.be
www.reo.be