The drought in the Netherlands and elsewhere in Europe is significantly affecting the open field vegetable market. That is according to Kees van den Bosch of Freeland. "There's extra demand from various countries. The United Kingdom is especially present on the market. Growers can't irrigate everywhere, and many fields have dried up. That's led to high demand and prices for products like broccoli, cabbage, and iceberg lettuce," he says.
Crops in the U.K.
"The new white cabbage crop is priced at around €0.55 to €0.60. That's double the usual price. Iceberg lettuce is scarce, too, with just enough product to meet demand. That means a price level of between €7 and €7.50 per box. But, now iceberg lettuce growers can make up for the first two bad months. Broccoli prices have normalized somewhat, but three weeks ago, it was still twice as expensive."
"The drought is also severely affecting leeks. The limited crop protection products supply is leading to many quality problems, with a particularly high thrip pressure. That won't mean high prices yet, which are really far too low. The new celeriac harvest has also started, and that market is progressing normally, with the normal demand," Kees continues.
"Many growers are struggling. They have to irrigate a lot, and some are limited by irrigation bans. Not much precipitation is expected for the next two weeks, either. The regular demand for cooking vegetables usually begins rising slightly now that vacations are ending, but otherwise, the market is quiet. We seem to be just filling in shortages."
"The drought in other parts of Europe offers prospects for high prices, though. For example, our German supplier has already communicated that they cannot supply everything. Processors are also buying extra since their regular suppliers cannot meet their obligations. It's always difficult to make predictions in our sector, but there will be good demand for open field vegetables; just wait and see," Kees concludes.
For more information:
Kees van den Bosch
Freeland B.V.
126 Nijbracht
7821 CE, Emmen, NL
Tel: +31 (0) 591 670 570
Mob: +31 (0) 651 406 694
Email: kees@freeland.nl
Website: www.freeland.nl