The Spanish supply of fruiting vegetables is currently running considerably behind due to cold and wet weather. "The supply of aubergines and courgettes, in particular, is struggling. But don't worry, better times are coming," says Harm Basten of Eurofresh in Venlo.
The tomato wholesaler, for example, has already largely switched back to Dutch supplies. "The Red Vine tomatoes are already being auctioned again here in Venlo, and we are also selling the Ajara line from a grower in the region. It is a broad range of flavour tomatoes, and supply is excellent."
© Eurofresh BV
"We have also switched completely to Dutch cucumbers. We buy these here at the clock. The Dutch season has been underway for a few weeks now. The moment we start the Dutch season, we put the Spanish aside, except for some Class II. I do not think growers can complain about prices at the moment."
The supply of Spanish peppers is also slowly declining. "However, the first Dutch peppers will not arrive until around week 12, so we still have a period to bridge. The pepper season is not easy in terms of quality. The thrips Parvispinus is leaving its mark, and you can see that customers have become cautious because of this. We are selling significantly fewer Spanish peppers than last year," says Harm.
"The weather in Spain is also affecting field vegetables. The supply of Spanish spring carrots, for example, is much more difficult. Finding good-quality spring carrots right now is quite a challenge. The iceberg lettuce market is performing fairly well, but cauliflower prices are moving in all directions. Today, they dropped sharply again," the trader says.
"Furthermore, we are seeing that supplies of spring onions, string beans, and green beans from Senegal and Morocco have slowed considerably. There is always something going on," Harm laughs, noting that German customer traffic at the Fresh Park in Venlo continues to increase. "The closure of the wholesale markets in Düsseldorf and Cologne has only increased arrivals, and we are benefiting from that. In addition, the new momentum following the takeover by Ad Pollux three years ago is certainly contributing to the growth we are experiencing at Eurofresh!"
For more information:
Harm Basten
Eurofresh
Venrayseweg 112a
5928 RH, Venlo
+31 (0) 77 324 1111
[email protected]
www.eurofresh.nl
