The sun is increasingly showing its rays. So slowly but surely, the transition from Spanish strawberries to Dutch and Belgian offerings seems to be underway for Belgian traders, including wholesaler Michel, which has fully switched to local supply this week. "As soon as they become abundant in the market, we see that our customers prefer them. The supply is still relatively limited, but in the coming weeks, we should see a significant increase in volumes from the greenhouses," says Stefan Bosmans of the Flemish wholesaler.
Father and son Michel and Stefan Bosmans during the recent Mabru Open House event.
The trader is eagerly looking forward to it, as the trade has been relatively slow during the winter months. "Few new products and a lot of rain made it a challenging period. However, it seems like the winter period is completely behind us now, and we are starting to recover. The strawberry supply has been slow to start, but everything now seems to be finding its way to the market more and more."
"The sales side saw a similar situation. Today is wonderful, but over the weekend, the sun and rain alternated rapidly, which did not help sales," Stefan continues. "Therefore, we are really waiting for longer periods of good weather. Especially towards Easter, this can give a boost to sales. At the moment, we are working with prices for everbearing strawberries between 3 and 4 euros. Normally, both demand and price increase in the week before Easter. This year, however, Easter falls early, so it remains to be seen what will happen. With less supply, prices will be slightly higher, but sales ultimately depend on the weather."
Waiting a bit longer for Belgian summer fruit
Besides strawberries, in which the Brussels-based wholesaler specializes, we still have to wait a bit for other summer fruits. "Grapes from Peru and South Africa are still doing well. However, those seasons are now gradually coming to an end. Peru is almost done, and we also see decreasing volumes from South Africa, but the demand remains strong. We excel in summer fruits, so the coming months will be peak trading time for us. However, we still have to wait for the typical summer products. Starting next week, peaches and nectarines from Spain will begin. That's a great moment, but we will have to wait a bit longer for Belgian summer fruit."
"Raspberries are expected to start in about a week or two. Blackberries and blueberries are still a little way off. We are also looking forward to the first cherries, which should arrive within a month. It's all starting to get going. In a month, we will be fully busy, and we can't wait. If the sun shows itself a bit more, we can really get started. We're looking forward to it," Stefan concludes.
For more information:
Stefan Bosmans
Groothandel Michel nv
Werkhuizenkaai 22-23
Magazijn E123/124/129/130
1000 - Brussels, Belgium
+32 (0)2 241 70 44
[email protected]