Van Dijk Foods has had Spanish stone fruit for three weeks now. "That's when the first supply from the south of Spain arrived, and the fruit looks good. The warm Spanish weather means the stone fruit has a very high Brix value," says this Belgian importer's Henk Vlaeminck.
Sales could be a little smoother, the trader admits. "Since last weekend, those have improved somewhat due to the lack of competition. There are no overseas plums, for example, so the Spanish fruit sells better. It's just that our cold, dark weather makes things relatively more difficult than in other years. Spanish nectarines and peaches may have hit an empty market, but 9 or 10°C and rain every day don't encourage consumption. Nectarine and peach prices fluctuate between €5 and €7, depending on caliber and quality."
The early hot, dry weather in Spain is cause for concern for the summer when water availability will become a thorny issue. Even tighter usage restrictions are expected. "We'll have to wait and see how this develops during the rest of the season. There are certainly problems, but those aren't yet much affecting the fruit coming in. The growers we currently work with have early varieties which are being adequately watered. The sizes are good, so, for now, things are still okay," Henk explains.
Besides peaches and nectarines, Van Dijk Foods got their first Spanish cherries this week too. "We've had these for about ten days, but we don't do the first varieties. I don't think those have good enough quality. Yesterday, however, we loaded the first black cherries, which look fantastic. Cherries thrive in good weather, so the quality is great. Again, for sales, the weather could be nicer."
In contrast, the grape season is almost at this importer. "We're now selling the last of the Chilean supply. After that, it's pretty much done. Peru is finished, and we can keep going with Chile for around another ten days. The Indian season is approaching, but we won't trade those grapes. They don't meet our quality standards. All in all, we can look back on a good season with nice numbers," concludes Henk.
For more information:
Henk Vlaeminck
Van Dijk Foods
50 Kempenare Street
2860, Sint-Katelijne-Waver, BE
Tel: +32 (0) 155 56 561
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.vandijkfoods.be