At the fruit company of Theo and Erik Vernooij in Cothen, the new Dutch cherry season has begun. "The trees aren't as heavily laden as they could be, but full enough. I'm very satisfied. The cherries are growing nicely and big, and we're still harvesting good volumes. On top of that, we're offering super-sweet cherries this season, thanks to the extra hours of sunshine, which have significantly increased the sugar content," Erik says. "It's a much more positive start than last year, when pickers were trudging through muddy orchards in boots."
The fruit farm supplies cherries to Albert Heijn through Bakker Barendrecht, serves a few greengrocers here and there, and also sells a good share directly via Landwinkel De Kersenhut, which also houses the Cherry Museum. "We're starting with a strong price level, and that's something we all need to maintain. After all, costs have risen sharply in recent years, while cherry prices haven't kept pace. We can't compete with other countries when it comes to labour costs, not even nearby. So if people want to enjoy high-quality Dutch cherries, they should also be willing to pay a Dutch price," the grower says.
Meda varieties
The fruit company is a licensee of Meda varieties and is testing several promising new varieties from this breeder. "These look very promising for the future. We aim to supply cherries throughout the season, but in our view, the greatest potential lies in the early varieties, which are picked in the first four weeks. These are rock hard and start from a caliber of 32 mm. That gives us something truly special alongside regular varieties like Marchant, Burlat, and Bellise. Next week, we'll be hosting a special event at our farm around these new cherry varieties. About 50 growers and traders from the Netherlands and abroad will attend."
According to the grower, the key to expanding cherry sales is starting early with better quality varieties. "If you buy cherries that go bad within two days, you're not going to buy them again anytime soon. With better varieties early in the season, you end up selling a lot more cherries." This year marks the sixth season the Vernooijs have been using sorting machines from Italian manufacturer Unitec. "There are only a few of these in the Netherlands, but we're very happy with it. It's an expensive machine, but it allows us to sort large volumes quickly with few people, which saves significantly on labour costs."
Cherry festival
The Vernooijs currently cultivate 18 hectares of cherries and have plans to expand to 20–25 hectares. Erik explains why not many other growers are expanding. "It's a very costly crop. You have to install canopies over everything, and it takes about four or five years before you harvest even a few kilos. On top of that, the government's crop protection policy hasn't exactly been encouraging. We've invested heavily to run a future-proof business that meets all regulations, and we hope the government will allow us to continue. Everyone is welcome to see how we grow. For example, during the last weekend of June, we host the 23rd edition of the Cherry Festival—an event that has grown into a large and enjoyable gathering with visitors from both home and abroad. We hope to welcome between 15,000 and 20,000 visitors again," Erik says.
The grower is also optimistic about their other fruit crops. "The redcurrants are looking good too. They held up well after the fruit drop, and the bunches are long and full—if this continues, it'll be a great harvest. In the coming weeks, we'll cover the berries with plastic to protect them from moisture and mould. And with the pears, despite a noticeable drop, we're satisfied so far. Most Conference blocks are filling up nicely: green, smooth pears just the way we like them. The Gepa pears are growing quickly, and their red colour is developing beautifully."
For more information:
Erik Vernooij
Landwinkel De Kersenhut
Groenewoudseweg 18
3945 BC Cothen
Tel: 0343-562799
[email protected]
www.dekersenhut.nl