In Belgium, REO Veiling's strawberries are gradually making their way to market. With next week's sunny forecast, it seems local strawberries will finally appear on store shelves again. There has been some Belgian and Dutch supply here and there over the past few weeks, but after a tough winter, the season is really picking up now. "It's still a bit of a wait this week, but our strawberry production will skyrocket next week. Next week's sunny weather will really kick off that season," begins Philiep Willems.
That will, however, require another week of waiting at REO Veiling. "If it had been a little sunnier, production would've been double what we have now. We just have to be patient, but temperatures of around 22°C are predicted for next week in Belgium. Then when some sunshine follows that, production will rise sharply. It's actually been a bit too cold for strawberry consumption, but current prices are at a maximum. I hope those remain stable as volumes increase in the coming weeks."
Good quality, empty market
And when production reaches full capacity, it seems there will be room on the market for local supply. "Tomatoes and strawberries had an extremely difficult winter. Fortunately, we could fall back on winter vegetables like leeks, chicory, and cabbages which, unlike last year, had a strong season with good prices. For strawberry growers, however, it was disastrous," says Philiep.
He, therefore, hopes for a good summer. "Right now, there's almost no competition from Spanish strawberries. That offers potential because our strawberries coming into production are top quality. Last year, those ripened too quickly. But now, we can deliver very flavorful strawberries under our Tomabel quality brand."
"That's partly due to the growers' hard work and the product having had time this year. So, nothing seems to be standing in the way of a great summer with, hopefully, good workable prices, so everyone can do their job decently," explains Philiep.
Tomabel and Fine Fleur
He is not concerned about a surplus once the large strawberries volumes hit the market. "Everyone started up a little later due to the well-known energy reasons, and then the task is to distinguish yourself. We've recently focused on planting the most flavorful varieties, for example, Sonsation and Aurora Karima strawberries. We're now betting on those." The cooperative works with some 80 strawberry growers, most of which REO markets under the Tomabel quality brand. Plenty are also sold under the Fine Fleur quality brand.
Search for ever-bearers
As mentioned, many strawberry growers struggled this winter, with energy costs and raw material increases and staff causing headaches. That is why REO Veiling is engaging with its growers to address these challenges in the future. "Everything's become significantly more expensive. And it's very tough, for us too, to find workers in the current labor market," Willems continues. "You have to consider costs. So, we're looking for strawberry everbearing varieties to grow. With these, you can achieve 'normal' production with the least possible cost."
Thus, REO Veiling wants to avoid repeating last winter's strawberry cultivation woes. "Everyone will have to try and find solutions eventually. Still, I don't expect the high energy prices of last winter again. I can't predict the future, but after talking to our producers, we should have full lit production next winter. And that's just as well because that caused many growers considerable problems. We're looking forward to a nice summer for now," Philiep concludes.
For more information:
Philiep Willems
REO Veiling
101 Oostnieuwkerksesteenweg
8800, Roeselare, Belgium
Tel. +32 (0) 512 31 211
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.reo.be