“Consumers of the future have to be attracted now”

2013 and 2014 were very difficult years for the chicory sector. Prices were low and consumption did not increase as a result. In 2015 and 2016, the sector appeared to improve a bit, even if the season was not entirely positive. Is the crisis over by now? That cannot yet be determined according to Dominiek Keersebilck from the REO Veiling. “We have to be careful with that. Sometimes just a few additional crates can cause a considerable decrease in price. Last year, the average price was at a good level of 78 cent, and that is quite good for cultivators. Yet only at the end of the season were high prices realised, after nine months of very difficult pricing.”

For the REO Veiling, chicory has had a spot in the top five as regards product sales for years already. “It is an important vegetable for us. Some years it is number four, other years it is in fifth or sixth place. Chicory reached fifth place as regards sales in 2016, and it was good for 8.5 per cent of total sales at the auction in Roeselare.”

This year, it appears to be headed in the right direction, price-wise. “For the fifth month this season, we are at an acceptable level.This could also be a result of the additional focus on quality. Last year during the chicory biennale, it finally got through to chicory producing countries not to produce more volumes, but to produce quality products. If we as a sector want to have a future, we have to cultivate the best product for the consumers, and not increase production. It has remained fairly stable for REO Veiling over the past 11 years, 19.5 million kilogram on average.”

Dominiek indicates that REO Veiling is working hard to always deliver optimum quality. “The Flandria brand amounts for about 80 per cent of the volume, and it has a strict quality policy. We do not judge cultivators, we judge the product. Besides traditional inspections at the inspection table, we do weekly spot checks, during which we look at and judge each individual crop. We also save a few crates and judge them on shelf life a few days after harvesting. We want to make a difference, quality-wise. Quality can save the sector! In addition to Flandria, we also offer Tomabel and Fine Fleur, which are just as good as regards quality, but are presented differently in the fields of sizes and packaging regarding Tomabel. Fine Fleur, on the other hand, is the brand for the authentic outdoor chicory, and its cultivators are very involved. We are strongest in Flandria vrac with crates of 5 kilograms.” REO mostly supplies chicory to Belgian wholesaler’s industry and the suppliers thereof. Additionally, France, the Netherlands and other European countries are buyers.

In the field of convenience, REO Veiling follows the trends closely, and is in direct contact with various cutting plants. “We still believe chicory deserves a place in the world of freshly cut lettuces. The technique to prevent the chicory turning red after cutting is becoming better all the time, and there therefore should be more possibilities. For instance, we think a mix of cut chicory and lamb’s lettuce is a delicious example: the soft flavour of lamb’s lettuce and the slightly bitter chicory flavour. Right now, this mix is a perfect option, but the market appears to be not quite ready for it, hopefully, this will soon change.”

“On average, Belgians eat 3.2 kilograms of chicory per year, and it is number four in the list of vegetables eaten most often. This is already quite good, but it could be even better. I do not think a large rise in consumption will be evident in future, considering the competition with other vegetables as well. Yet I definitely see a future for this wonderful product, and we are trying to turn around the negative trend of decreasing consumption. Focus is currently on preserving the current consumer, and attracting young consumers. This year, VLAM has a campaign with Loofje again, which playfully approaches children. It is good to already attract consumers of the future now,” Dominiek concludes.