It is a white start to 2026 for now. The Netherlands is experiencing considerable disruption, and snow is also appearing in Belgium. This is inconvenient for hauliers and public transport, but for the market for winter vegetables such as leeks and Belgian endive, it is not necessarily negative. "It is a combination of factors," explains Benny Cuypers of BelOrta.
"In recent weeks, for example, in leeks, we have finally seen prices start to rise," he explains. "On the one hand, winter weather boosts consumption; on the other hand, market supply has been moving more slowly. This is partly due to the weather, but also because there was less labour available in recent weeks, as many people were on holiday and returned to their home countries. As a result, there was less product on the market, and together these factors have meant that prices have finally risen a little. This is a very welcome change, as the start of the season was extremely difficult."
During the holiday season, the upturn began. "During that period, people work less, and the market becomes somewhat uncertain. We actually see this every year around New Year's Eve: supply is lower, while demand increases during the holidays. Moreover, some retailers organise promotions on leeks in the first week of the new year, which gives demand an extra boost. That is when you often see movement. We hope this trend can continue in the coming weeks, even once the thaw sets in. There will probably be more products on the market next week once everyone is back, which could put prices under pressure again. Hopefully, however, it will not happen as quickly or as strongly as it did in November and early December."
Belgian endive in the spotlight
Belgian endive, Benny says, is in a similar situation. "This has been dramatic, of course, but in the past two weeks, there has been slightly less product on the market, partly due to the holidays and partly because harvesting was lower. That, combined with traditionally stronger demand in Belgium during the holiday period, has led to an improvement. The colder weather and various promotional actions reinforced that effect, so prices ended up somewhat better. We are now talking about reasonable and correct prices for this time of year, whereas previously the situation was really bad."
"The Week of Belgian Endive will return in Belgium this year in week 6, at the beginning of February. In the run-up to that week, we hope the product will receive extra exposure to stimulate demand. This is also necessary, because by then there will likely be more volume on the market again, as growers resume supplying in full."
Effect remains lacking in Brussels sprouts
Other outdoor vegetables seem to be benefiting less from the higher demand linked to winter weather. "For other outdoor vegetables, the picture is mixed. We expected to see the same effect for Brussels sprouts, but so far this has not happened. That market remains weak, mainly because there is a large volume available from the Netherlands and Belgium. As a result, prices remain too low for this time of year, in fact, for the entire season. The public holidays have not led to lower supply either; harvests have been good so far, and enough product has been secured. Perhaps the cold will make things a bit more difficult this week, but any effect will mainly have to come from reduced supply on the market."
"With other winter vegetables, we also see a mixed picture. Parsnips, for example, are very difficult this year and show little movement so far, with prices remaining on the low side. For cabbage, we see only a slight increase in prices, but nothing significant. What is performing well for us is turnips. This may be a niche product, but we are clearly seeing a positive effect there."
For more information:
Benny Cuypers
BelOrta
Mechelsesteenweg 120
B-2860 Sint-Katelijne-Waver, Belgium
Tel: +32 (0)15 55 11 11
[email protected]
www.belorta.be
