Cooperative Hoogstraten anticipates a larger volume of strawberries this summer. There should be a total of 34 million kilos, which says Leen Matthé will find its way to the market. "We're already getting queries from various clients across Europe, so the strawberries will no doubt reach them in the coming months," she begins.
On Wednesday, March 20, this Belgian cooperative started its summer season with the traditional sale of the first crate of strawberries. However, the cooperative took a moment to look back and ahead. They reflected on an especially challenging year for the product groups in which they specialize. "The energy crisis marred the winter of 2023. That led to a significant decrease in lit cultivation and a languid start to the season." Earlier, the cooperative had indicated they were working with only 10% of the volumes compared to previous years.
A summer where production finally picked up again followed, though extreme weather conditions complicated things. There were heatwaves in June and September, interspersed with a very wet July. It made for tricky summer trading. Last year also saw a 10% drop in strawberry volumes. "Cooperative Hoogstraten has, nevertheless, achieved a stable turnover in recent years," says Leen.
"Last year, too, with just over €305 million. That was, however, countered by ever-rising costs that put increasing pressure on grower margins. It wasn't an easy year for us or our 165 affiliated growers." That does not deter the cooperative from looking forward to 2024 with full confidence, as Leen explains, with many projects in the pipeline.
The first crate of strawberries being sold
Good demand
Looking at the acreage, it is mainly tomatoes that will increase in 2024. The cooperative expects that to grow slightly to 198 hectares. However, that is offset by a decrease in bell pepper and cucumber acreage due to growers stopping or switching back to tomato cultivation. Virus pressure and good cucumber prices drove some growers to other crops, but a return seems to have begun. The strawberry acreage is at 900 hectares this year, with Cooperative Hoogstraten foreseeing an expansion, particularly in glasshouse cultivation. A larger volume of 34 million kilos is, thus, expected.
Besides trading, the cooperative's future projection was further defined—a future where the cooperative wants to create sustainable added value, especially for its growers. "We're an atypical cooperative specializing in a specific number of product groups where we want to distinguish ourselves as a knowledge organization. An important part of that is knowledge exchange. So, under Hoogstraten Learning Fields, we offer a varied training program tailored not only for our employees but also for producers," Leen continues. "We focus on sustainable careers where lifelong learning is central. We can, thus, quickly respond to current needs."
Hans Vanderhallen introduced the first sale
Partnerships
There will also be a focus on partnerships. "A good example is the UVrobot project, where powdery mildew in strawberries is being combatted. After years of efforts from various parties, including Proefcentrum Hoogstraten, Cooperative Hoogstraten, and some suppliers, the method of fighting that using UV light was successfully converted into a workable robot solution on farms. That represents a step forward in the sector's sustainable future," says Matthé. Later on Wednesday, several influencers with whom the cooperative collaborates visited that project and the ClickFloats floating solar panels at Tomeco.
Cooperative Hoogstraten sees that collaboration as a great way to quickly and directly reach their target group. They organize multiple initiatives to connect the general public with Hoogstraten strawberries. For instance, Hopsabees, a healthy nutrition and exercise program for pre-schoolers, will hold a Mobile Sports Day for the first time this year. And there will be another Week of Hoogstraten. During that week, their strawberries are spotlighted through radio, media, and new vending machines placed in various cities.
The Federation of Belgian Food Banks' Piet Vanthemsche and Joeri Beniest of Lidl, respectively, received a cheque, and the strawberries
Here, social media is important. The cooperative teams with 12 content creators who work with Hoogstraten's products and share their message with the desired audience at peak moments. Chloé Lauwers (Chloé cooks), a Hoogstraten ambassador and the Belgian Food Banks' new face is one such creator. "As an influencer, it's important to use your platform for a non-profit organization occasionally," she says. "Especially since it's about food, this is a wonderful project to support. You can reach young people more easily via social media to sensitize and inform them."
Circularity
The cooperative chose a good day for the occasion. Under beautiful sunny spring skies, the sale of the first crate of strawberries was central. Lidl Belgium bought it for €4000, and Cooperative Hoogstraten, on behalf of its growers, doubled the amount to €8000. Piet Vanthemsche of the chosen charity, the Federation of Belgian Food Banks, received this cheque. "We're delighted to purchase the first tray of strawberries and kick off the local strawberry season," says Joeri Beniest.
He is head of vegetable and fruit purchasing at Lidl Belgium and Luxembourg. "These first strawberries not only symbolize the start of that season and the importance of local production but also highlighy the long-standing cooperation between Lidl and the Belgian Food Banks. We've been supporting food aid for a decade and hold the Food Banks dear to our hearts."
After the sale, an extensive breakfast was laid out where Cooperative Hoogstraten growers and others could chat.
The proceeds of this first sale are donated to a charity every year—this year, to the Federation of Belgian Food Banks. "Collaboration between the food banks and the cooperative auctions is vital. Not only can we offer high-quality, fresh products, but we also share the same values," says Federation chairman Piet Vanthemsche. Hoogstraten has been working with this association since 2020, which fits well with Belgian cooperatives' circularity goal, the Federation of Belgian Horticultural Cooperatives' Luc Vanoirbeek explained. For Hoogstraten, that mainly concerns products like tomatoes and bell peppers. Strawberries are slightly more challenging.
Collaboration
Cooperative Hoogstraten is generally looking forward to a positive 2024, where another important change might be in store in addition to the abovementioned projects. In late 2023, it and the Dutch FruitMasters announced they were discussing a future partnership. Inquiries reveal that these talks are ongoing. "They're going well,' reveals Hans Vanderhallen, Cooperative Hoogstraten's director.
"That shows we complement each other. We specialize in strawberries, tomatoes, and bell peppers. They're very strong in product groups like top fruit. There's definitely potential, and we'll see how we can shape the collaboration. So, yes, we're still in discussions," Hans concludes. For now, the strawberry season has started, and a beautiful summer with many events is anticipated.
For more information:
Cooperative Hoogstraten
59 Loenhoutseweg
2320, Hoogstraten, Belgium
Tel,: +32 (0) 334 00 211
[email protected]
www.hoogstraten.eu