The traditional seasonal transition from Spain to produce from the Netherlands is proving extremely difficult this year. "With iceberg lettuce, for example, we would normally switch over completely to Dutch produce by middle to late May. But this year, we are still running two sources, as the quality of the Dutch produce is simply not there. For example, the heads of lettuce are much smaller than usual at this time of year. For quality reasons, we are therefore forced to continue sourcing vegetables from Spain," says Deniz Bingöl, fruit and vegetable trader at the Frankfurt Fresh Produce Centre and stand manager at Grüntal Ltd, which is based there. However, the current price level for iceberg lettuce is average, he adds.
Deniz Bingöl shows a carton of Dutch sweet peppers. There is also a bumpy seasonal transition in the greenhouse vegetables category, as aubergines and courgettes are still partly sourced from Spain.
The wholesale company, founded in 2020, also continues to offer carrots from both the Netherlands and Spain. However, the carrots are currently being offered at a very high price, says Bingöl. "White and red cabbage is also currently being offered at high prices. Here we are mainly offering produce from the Netherlands, although we would normally already be offering German cabbage. In many respects, I would categorise the current season as rather atypical. You could even call it an exceptional year."
Left: Spanish and Dutch carrots are currently being traded in parallel.
Right: Dutch iceberg lettuce. This year, the heads of lettuce are much smaller than usual.
For more information:
Deniz Bingöl
Grüntal GmbH
Frischezentrum Frankfurt
Tel: +49 163 2040494
[email protected]