The start of this year's Dutch iceberg lettuce season was nothing special. "The market situation was difficult then, but in the last six weeks, prices have picked up quite a bit. They're now at around €8/box," says Niels Zuurbier of the Ursem-Zuurbier cultivation company. He is also chairman of the Netherlands' Agriculture and Horticulture Organization's open-field vegetable trade group.
Niels Zuurbier (second from right) and his colleagues.
Niels finds these sharply rising prices remarkable. "Despite a large supply, prices rose. That doesn't happen very often, but it's all down to the drought-induced lower supply elsewhere in Europe." There is, however, no reason to celebrate yet. "Of course, we're happy that prices are good now, but costs are also significantly higher. The iceberg lettuces do have some quality issues after the warm August nights and the subsequent rain. Some of them are a little fragile, manifesting in reddening and grittiness. That's what we have to deal with now."
Staff shortage is another challenge. "Finding quality people remains a source of concern. We have close to 100 people working at our cultivation company, mostly Poles and Romanians. But it's truly challenging to find enough people," explains Niels. At Ursem-Zuurbier, the Dutch iceberg lettuce season usually ends around October 20. "The cold weather is causing the supply to decrease pretty fast, so I expect prices to remain reasonable. The big question is: When will the large Spanish volumes enter the market?"
This open-field vegetable grower, too, has seen that inflation is changing consumer spending patterns. "Shoppers have to make choices and are increasingly opting for house brands. Sales to the processing industry are also declining somewhat. In these tough economic times, people are more likely to buy a whole head rather than a pricier bag of processed lettuce. They're simply going to prioritize their spending," Niels concludes.
For more information:
Niels Zuurbier
Ursem – Zuurbier C.V.
6a Donkereweg
1704 DV, Heerhugowaard, NL
Tel: +31 (0) 654 741 523
Email: niels@ursemzuurbier.nl