By mid-March, the fresh produce market is traditionally in a complex transition phase. According to Philip van Geest of Van Geest International, the overlap between greenhouse vegetables from southern Europe and the start of the Dutch season is clearly noticeable this year, but far from smooth.
"You see that Spain and Morocco are still in full production, while the Netherlands is only just getting started. That creates tension in availability, quality, and pricing," Philip says. "Retail demand remains strong at the moment, especially for products such as vine tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, eggplants, and zucchini. As a result, grower associations and traders face a considerable challenge. Everyone is trying to figure out how to meet their commitments. The volumes are simply not yet sufficient to fully meet demand."
© Van Geest international
Firm pricing of tomatoes
"This tightness is directly reflected in pricing. Vine tomatoes (5 kg) are currently trading at around €15, which is considered very firm. Loose tomatoes from Morocco are at around €16 for 6 kg. Prices also remain high in other segments: beef tomatoes (BBB) even reached a peak of €26.50 per 7 kg in Belgium. For cherry tomatoes, the price level for imports (9x250 g) is between €10 and €13, with Dutch product at the top end of this range," the trader explains.
"Aubergines are a different story: Spanish supply is declining, and shelf life is currently at its lowest, while Dutch production remains limited. Combined with strong retail demand, this results in prices between €14 and €16. Courgettes from Spain are currently trading between €10 and €12 per box, also influenced by large retail orders."
© Van Geest international
Peppers exception to upward trend
"An exception to the upward trend is peppers. Prices have actually fallen in recent days, both for imports and Dutch products. Dutch red and yellow peppers have dropped from around €22 to €14 to €15 per 5 kg box, while green peppers are trading at around €11 per box. Spanish peppers are often several euros lower, depending on quality. Cucumbers were expensive for a long time, but have declined to around €4.50 to €6.00 per box of 12 in recent weeks," says Philip.
In addition, the calendar also plays a role. The end of Ramadan, around 19 March, has mixed effects on the market. "On the one hand, you temporarily see slightly lower demand on wholesale markets, but products such as eggplant actually benefit from an additional boost," Van Geest explains. "The subsequent Sugar Festival also traditionally results in the loss of a trading day. Current shortages and price levels are expected to persist for about two more weeks, until Dutch production increases further and the market becomes more balanced. Overall, current prices are favorable for growers, but at the same time, they are causing day trading to slow somewhat."
For more information:
Philip van Geest
Van Geest International
Jogchem van der Houtweg 41
2678 HA De Lier
Tel: +31 (0) 174 514300
[email protected]
www.vgibv.nl
