The final months of the Belgian top fruit season are proceeding according to plan, says Xavier Laduron, a grower himself and head of the fruit sector committee at Fairebel. "Our cold storage stocks are nearing their end, but it looks like we still have fruit for about ten more weeks. Everything is on schedule and if it continues this way, we can go on until the end of June," says the grower, who cultivates fruit on 35 hectares.
"Quality-wise, everything is also fine," he continues. "Of course, April pears are not the same as those in September. Everyone understands that, but overall, we have nothing to complain about." This applies, Xavier states, to the prices during the current season as well. "Comice have already been sold out and the Conference pears are well-priced. You can't say the price is very high, but it's just as it should be. It's not bad, but it couldn't be any lower either. At this moment, we can cover our costs and make a small margin to look at investments. I think that's the goal of every company ultimately. I don't need to get rich, but I have to be able to live off it."
Xavier is already looking forward to the new season. "The apples have now started blooming. Fortunately, we haven't had any frost yet, so that's a positive. If the weather continues to favor us, we'll definitely be able to harvest some fruit for the new year in the new season. However, it's always uncertain. The pears aren't on the tree yet and until they're in cold storage, we still have many weeks to go. It's now April and September is still far off. You're never sure of future developments."
You can't get away with that at the barber's
According to the grower, that applies not only to the quality of the fruit but also to the prices. "This season we might not have to complain about the prices, but one must realize that they simply can't go any lower. The costs are incredibly high and there are practically no ways to cultivate cheaper, yet everything still needs to be covered. For instance, we made an investment in planting apples. This is a nice expansion, but it comes with its risks. If the prices suddenly drop sharply again, one can quickly run into problems."
"I always explain it to friends like this: 'If I walk up to the barber after a haircut and say: 'I'll give you 20 euros for it. Oh, but you want 40 euros? Sorry, I'm really only going to pay 20 and if you're not happy with that, too bad. Next time I might pay 25 or maybe even 15 euros. You'll have to wait and see what you get.' Can you imagine how strange that is; do you think you'd get a haircut next time? At the barber's, you also can't suddenly pay half of what you did last year, but why then with fruit? This uncertainty about income is a constant in the top fruit business, and not just here, but in the entire sector. That can't go on endlessly, because the costs just keep rising. It's not that we do it to become rich, but covering costs is the basis of every business."
"This season, prices are good, but I often hear that the pears are expensive. They're not. They are as they should be, so that everyone in the chain can earn their bit. They can't be any cheaper. This season, prices for our pears are higher, but consumer prices don't differ that much. How is that possible? It turns out that we can indeed get good prices, where everyone can also work with them and they don't become too expensive for the consumer. Can it stay like this? Perfect. I won't get rich from it, but that's not necessary. I'm then satisfied and can continue doing what makes me happy and moreover, make people happy with quality fruit."
For more information:
Xavier Laduron
Fairebel
+32 (0)80 44 77 26
[email protected]
www.fairebel.be