The Dutch greenhouse vegetable season has started. This has made the Spanish trade a little more difficult. "One morning, earlier this week, I was offering Spanish bell peppers for EUR8,50. Their Dutch counterparts then came onto the market at EUR9,50," says Pieter de Ruiter of 4Fruit Company. This business is located in Ridderkerk, the Netherlands.
"That meant I had to quickly drop my price to EUR7,50. I also had to drop my prices for green, yellow, and orange bell peppers. In Spain, there is, however, still a lot of bell peppers that need to be harvested. In the coming weeks, we will, therefore, not see the prices we have seen recently."
"Aubergines are at a relatively low level of around EUR4 or EUR4,50. There are, however, not that many left. Spanish courgettes are selling for about EUR3,50. So, you are also not attracting crowds with this price. The Spanish cucumber season is over. These cucumbers can no longer compete when it comes to quality. There are also plenty of Dutch cucumbers on the market," Pieter sums things up.
He does think the price of Spanish tomatoes will improve. "Loose tomatoes are going for between the EUR5 and EUR5,50 mark. There are also not a whole lot of these. Plum tomatoes, as well as truss tomatoes, are selling for EUR7 or EUR7,50."
"In terms of quality, the Spanish vegetables are competing well. This is certainly true for aubergines and courgettes. The bell peppers did, at times, have quality issues. However, they are better now. You must just not store them for a long time. Get them in and sell them - that is my motto," says Pieter.
The rest of the Spanish trade paints a mixed picture. "Traders are not happy with the orange market at the moment. The sales price of Spanish iceberg lettuce is at around the EUR3 to EUR3,50. This price is nothing to write home about. In contrast, the artichokes are moving well, with prices of between EUR6,50 and EUR7. And you can make some real money with the Sweet Bite pointed peppers. They cost EUR10 or EUR11 for 4kg."
For more information:
Pieter de Ruiter
4 Fruit Company
30 Handelsweg
2988 DB Ridderkerk, NL
Tel. +31 (0) 180 641 902
pr@4fc.nl
www.4fruitcompany.nl