'Production and demand red currants has been stable for years'

Raspberries, blueberries and blackberries are mentioned together when it comes to soft fruits. There are, however, more kinds of "berries". "Here in Belgium, red currants and cranberries should also be included. Customers want to be able to choose from our extended range. BelOrta presents itself as a one-stop shop in this regard. We, therefore, also offer niche products such as wild strawberries, Japanese wineberries, pineberries, white currants and kiwis", says Miguel Demaeght of BelOrta.

Red currants
He admits that red currants are BelOrta's most important product. "The production of, and demand for, these has been stable for years. We expect it to remain so in the future. In 'normal' years, BelOrta's producers harvest about 350,000 kg of red currants. Thanks to ULO-storage, we can, in principle, deliver red currants until Christmas. At the moment, we are in the process of switching from fresh to ULO. The yield is somewhat lower this season, due to the frost in the spring. We will also end the season sooner than usual."

Cranberries
When it comes to cranberries, BelOrta is the largest supplier in Belgium. "We grow on about 10 hectares, which produces almost 90,000 kg."

Packaging
Last year, BelOrta introduced new packaging for its soft fruit. "We thought long and hard about a presentation which would best showcase the product. The result was a nice 125 gram "boat". We still get positive feedback from retailers and consumers about it. Besides this packaging, we have various other packaging option for our soft fruit. Our growers are very flexible in this regard and pack according to the needs of the customer."

Soft fruit
In general, there is an increased demand for soft fruit. "Our acreage has increased sharply in 2015/2016 and 2016/2017. We want to be able to meet the local and international demand."

For more information:
Miguel Demaeght
Head of Sales, Fruit - BelOrta
120 Mechelsesteenweg
B-2860 Sint-Katelijne-Waver
T: +32-(0) 12 670 210
M: +32-(0) 473 334 110
F: +32-(0) 12 745 071
miguel.demaeght@BelOrta.be
www.belorta.be