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Tom Desmet (Desmet Agro):

"With Poland and France joining Spain in the leek market, prices are looking promising"

The leek market picked up after the festive season. "We remained busy during the Christmas period. That's not a bad thing, but fortunately, prices are decent again now. I think everyone can make a living," says Tom Desmet of Desmet Agro.

The leek market has been volatile so far, explains the grower from Meulebeke, Flanders. "In day trading, we've seen very fluctuating prices—ranging from 1 euro in October to 39 euro cents at the end of November, which is just far too low. Costs aren't what they used to be. Growing leeks is expensive, so a fair price is necessary to make any profit. Every year is uncertain, but thankfully, prices improved after Christmas. We're now at around 90 euro cents to 1 euro. That's fine—not spectacular, but manageable. It really shouldn't go above 1 euro, though, because then it won't sell."

Tom anticipates the market will remain steady in the coming period. "Demand is coming from all directions. Spain primarily drove the market until New Year, and they're still active. Additionally, Poland finally entered the market a week ago. It took some time because they had plenty of their own production, but now they're starting to buy. There's also some demand from France, so there's a good spread, which makes me think sales will remain strong in the near term."

Could frost disrupt this outlook? "Well, leek growth has slowed down. The ground is getting colder, and top production isn't happening. The weight of the leeks is good, but claims of bumper crops aren't accurate, in my view. You hear the same from other countries—France doesn't have particularly large leeks, and neither does the Netherlands. Overall, everyone is in a similar situation. While production volumes aren't high, I think this also helps the market remain stable. Slightly lower volumes due to possible frost won't be a significant issue in this regard."

In addition to leeks, the young grower is also busy with celeriac during this period. "Celeriac is increasingly in demand this time of year. Prices are stable and at a good level. I don't expect any major changes here either, as the harvest hasn't been particularly strong, especially in the Netherlands. Our harvest is decent, but this has led to a bit of a demand-driven market. It's a healthy market, which is always good news. It needs to be, as leeks and celeriac are primarily export products. We depend on exports, so when demand is steady, as it is now, it ensures we can keep working well."

For more information:
Tom Desmet
Desmet Agro
Knorrebosstraat 10
8760, Meulebeke, Belgium
Tel: +32 470 68 87 74
tom@desmet-agro.be