The Belgian cherry season is in full swing at the moment and the atmosphere is better than at the start. There is mainly supply from the varieties Kordia, Regina and Lapins at the Belgische Fruitveiling at the moment. "The earlier varieties have hardly been harvested in the Sint-Truiden region, due to the combination of wind and hail at the start of the season. Our growers were less bothered by that, because they mainly focus on the later varieties," says Karel Belmans of the Belgische Fruitveiling. "Hopefully we will end the season well, both in the area of price and quality."
Strong varieties
"The later varieties have mostly survived the bad weather conditions as most were still green at the time. Green cherries are less sensitive to rain, wind and hail. Yet there are differences in quality per variety. Some varieties are stronger than others. The strongest are Kordia and Regina, but there are also lesser qualities that can't be stored for as long. They are less suitable for export. Now that better weather is expected, the quality will also improve. Cherries are dependent on the weather."
Prices
The prices vary. "A good price is given for a strong quality. The softer varieties do less well. We are mainly focused on export. It doesn't get properly going until there is sufficient supply. The export was stiff at the start but we notice it pulling up. We hope this goes for all qualities. The price for Kordia is between 4 and 5 Euro per kilo for the '28 plus and 30 plus'. For the '26 plus' the price is around 3 Euro. Between 1.50 and 2.50 Euro is given for the softer varieties."
Slow increase in covered cultivation
The way it is looking now it will remain good weather. "Although there is still a fear that there will be more rain this week. Growers hope this won't be too bad." According to Karel the number of covered cultivations in Belgium is slowly but surely rising. "As auctions we do a lot to convince the growers, but it isn't moving as quickly as we'd hoped. We are aiming for 40 to 50% covered in the future, but we're not there yet. Yet we see a positive trend. It's a heavy investment for a grower, they have to apply for a license and it's a decision that has to be considered. Now that the Belgian growers see it with fellow growers and producers from abroad, it will hopefully have a snowball effect."
For more information:
Karel Belmans
Belgische Fruitveiling
Montenakenweg 82
3800 Sint-Truiden - Belgium
T: +32 (0)11 69 34 11
F: +32 (0)11 68 54 60
www.bfv.be