"Across Europe, there's been some frost damage reported by blueberry growers, notably in Serbia, central Poland, and both northern and southern Germany," says Harm Valckx from Berry Packing Services in Venlo. According to him, the damage in the Netherlands has been very limited. "Most growers in the Netherlands can irrigate or have other frost protection methods. Looking at the bigger picture, the harvest is expected to be abundant, and we are also set to start two weeks earlier."
Currently, the Moroccan season is winding down with large volumes, and the Spanish berry season is in full swing. "We're seeing significant volumes coming in, and prices are somewhat under pressure. Due to the drop in prices, there have been quite a few promotions in recent weeks, which has helped move the volume. There are many promotions involving 500-gram packages, which definitely boosts sales," continues Harm, who says the quality of the Moroccan and Spanish berries is reasonable.
As an independent soft fruit packing station, Berry Packing Services processes millions of kilograms of berries annually at its packaging facility in Venlo. "We can handle large quantities of the entire soft fruit package on a daily basis. We are heavily investing in mechanization to save on manual labor despite our growth. Starting this autumn, we will further expand the packing station by renting the adjacent space."
For more information:
Harm Valckx
Berry Packing Services
Tel: 077-7650000
[email protected]
www.berrypackingservices.eu