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Vantieghem brothers prepare for the Week of Chicory

"Cold storage is full of chicory roots, putting pressure on prices"

From February 1 to 7, the Week of Chicory will once again take place in Flanders. This quintessentially Flemish product is put in the spotlight for a week each year and is gaining increasing recognition among younger generations. For the arable farm run by brothers Charles and Edward Vantieghem from Otegem in West Flanders, hydroponic chicory is the main crop. "I believe we are in a transitional generation, where it is important to ensure that parents continue teaching their children to eat chicory," says Charles Vantieghem.

The brothers represent the fifth generation on their family farm in Otegem, Zwevegem. In 1978, their grandparents began growing soil-grown chicory. "When my father turned 18, they decided to look for a crop that would also provide work in the winter," Charles explains. "That's when they shifted their focus to hydroponic chicory. It was an emerging technique in Belgium, and they saw great potential in it. In the end, they were among the first to start working with this method. They may not have been the first to supply the REO Auction, but that was because they initially chose to market their produce directly to local wholesalers and market vendors. However, this soon became too challenging. For example, if there was a two-week frost, market vendors wouldn't set up their stalls, but the chicory would still be ready for harvest. Since it couldn't be stored for two weeks, they eventually decided to market everything through the REO Auction instead." In addition, the farm operates a vending machine where customers can purchase fresh produce directly from the grower, 24 hours a day.

In 2022, Charles and Edward officially took over the family farm. In addition to growing potatoes, onions, sugar beets, maize, cereals, and courgettes, they now cultivate approximately 50 hectares of chicory. "We have also recently acquired an additional 10 hectares in the Netherlands and France, among other locations. This allows us to spread our risks a bit," Charles continues. Reflecting on the current season, he says that the brothers have little to complain about in terms of harvest. "The root harvest has been good, but as a result, there seems to be an oversupply in the market at the moment. Everyone has plenty of rootstocks, so in the past three weeks, we've seen prices drop. Maybe volumes will slow down a bit, but adjusting production is difficult with chicory. The staff is in place, and the planning is already set. Adapting to market conditions becomes a real challenge."

How long this situation will last is uncertain. "It's hard to predict. Cold storage facilities are full now, but I believe the chicory beds planned for summer are ripening fairly quickly, which may mean we won't be able to get 100% from the draw boxes while maintaining quality. But that's just speculation, as these are still trial draws. The upside is that if this happens, lower volumes may lead to better prices. So, a lot can still change, but we hope the market stabilizes in terms of pricing—otherwise, it could be a difficult year."

Week of chicory
Perhaps a boost in demand during the Week of Chicory could help. "We'll see how things go in the coming days. The event starts on Monday, so we should start seeing more orders now. This year, it doesn't look too bad," says Charles.

Whether efforts should be made to further increase chicory's popularity is a complex question, he admits. "On one hand, I think we are now in a transitional generation. The current consumers learned to eat chicory from their parents, but the next generation will need to reintroduce it to their children. If that doesn't happen, and the younger generation stops eating it, this wonderful product could face a real challenge in the future."

"On the other hand, chicory is also a product primarily consumed by older generations. This is true for other vegetables as well—Brussels sprouts, for example, face similar challenges, but many people start eating them once they reach their 30s. So, I don't expect chicory to disappear. We can grow it year-round in Belgium, the Netherlands, France, and Germany—one of the few regions in the world where this is possible. This ensures that we won't be overwhelmed by imports from China, for example. Additionally, chicory is increasingly seen as a luxury product in international markets. So, there is definitely a future for it, but events like this Week of Chicory are crucial for maintaining awareness. A strong collaboration between growers and traders is essential to keep this beautiful product on the market."

For more information:
Charles Vantieghem
Vantiegro
Wagenmakerstraat 1
8553 Otegem, Belgium
Tel: +32 474 62 53 40
[email protected]