"The strawberry season has been difficult so far," says Luc Bruneel of Coöperatie Hoogstraten in Belgium. "Strawberries grow best with a lot of (sun)light. The mild, rainy summer means they aren't of the quality they were last year. Hoogstraten delivers consistent quality. So, we've had to choose very carefully this year."
"There's been slightly less demand. But it's very erratic. Again, the wet summer is to blame. Local market demand has been a little lower. Sales to Scandinavia and England, however, compensated for that."
New strawberry crops of better quality
Strawberry plants only last so long, and then new ones are planted. "Growers are currently cultivating new crops, and expectations are very good. The plants already look much better than the previous ones. That should hopefully lead to beautiful strawberries and normal seasonal prices. Let's hope the late summer will be nice," says Luc.
Blueberries
Blueberries have become hugely popular in recent years. They used to come in small packages. Now you find them in increasingly larger ones. "The blueberry market's growing fast. But all soft fruits are becoming more popular. There's a correlation with COVID-19 and people paying more attention to their health. They've started eating more fruit."
The berry season will run until the end of September. And Hoogstraten is relying on these products' local character to sell them on the domestic market. "The berries are hand-picked and have excellent quality. Blueberries are slightly less sensitive to this weather than strawberries," Luc concludes.
Kiwi berry season about to start
“The kiwi berries quality is great too. We're expecting large berries with smooth peels," says Natalie Snijers of Coöperatie Hoogstraten. Harvesting of, what should be, 60 tons of these berries will start at the end of August. These will then be machine sorted for ripeness and size. They will be in stores from early September.
In recent years, Hoogstraten has been focusing strongly on promoting kiwi berries. That is in cooperation with well-known vloggers and Belgian TV chef Jeroen Meus. This product's packaging also emphasizes that it belongs to the berry family, just like blueberries and raspberries.
For more information:
Luc Bruneel
Coöperatie Hoogstraten
Tel: +32 (0) 334 00 211
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.hoogstraten.eu