It seems like a wait-and-see approach until the end of the hard fruit season. This is certainly the trend among a large part of the growers in the Low Countries. However, Dirk-Jan van Lutterveld has a slightly different view: he still sees potential in the apple market. "There are not so many good quality Elstar and Jonagold apples left, so I expect that we can still sell them at nice prices in the coming months," says the fruit grower from Kesteren in Gelderland.
"We had quite a warm harvest last year," Dirk-Jan continues. "That causes many growers to be a bit more hesitant to store their apples. Moreover, there are cells that have not made it to the end of the season in a good way. If it then turns out that there are also cells with very good quality apples, I think we can still achieve good sales with them. So, the price might even increase a bit later on, because we already see that customers are willing to pay a price for the right apple. At least, that's what I notice."
"People then prefer to choose an apple that carries no risk during these months of the season. And because you see around you that there is not so much left, you notice that it is quite possible to trade with strong quality." The grower also does not foresee any extra competition from overseas offerings. "Elstar in particular is a variety that you actually cannot get from the Southern Hemisphere. It is a unique product that distinguishes itself in the apple market. For customers looking for this, there are few alternatives. This also ensures that overseas competition cannot easily spoil things."
Pears worrisome
So where Dirk-Jan feels positive about apples, the pear situation is worrisome, he explains. "Look, you have to be careful not to talk the market sicker than it is. Of course, there are lines that continue to run just fine, but indeed, there is just a bit too much product at the moment. Eventually, the coin could still fall on the right side, because July is a different month than others during the season, but something will have to happen. Not all pears will turn out well, I fear."
Just like with apples, the grower sees a possible solution in distinguishing good quality pears. "It may be that a portion of the pears, which are actually not good enough anymore, will be thrown away. Then, it could still turn out well for the good pears. Only, that is of course damn annoying if you have lesser quality yourself. The fact that it has been a relatively good season in terms of price formation, perhaps makes it even harder. Everyone had the chance to sell them at a decent price. Then it is very unfortunate if you have gambled wrong. That happens to everyone once. I am fortunately almost rid of them now, but I also had moments when you should actually not have them anymore at a later point in the season, and that is very sour. That's always a gamble."
As a reason, Dirk-Jan sees a number of factors. "On one hand, the stocks were historically low in Europe. On the other hand, it was overlooked that the quality of the pears was not up to par everywhere. That makes it much harder to build a market. Especially when temperatures rise, which also does not help with the quality. Then it becomes less and less likely that you will get a peak if the pears are disappointing to the customers and the shelf life is also under pressure. Yes, in hindsight, it is of course easy to talk, because in the end, market dynamics can also go in such a way that you still get a peak at the end. It remains an estimation, though. They often say: 'Better to have an ounce of luck than a pound of wisdom'."
Cherries unprecedentedly good
So, we can certainly speak of a hard fruit season with ups and downs, but at the farm in Kesteren, the focus is slowly but surely also shifting to the cherries, which they also grow. "We do not have early varieties, so the first cherries will not appear with us until mid-July. Yet, we have high expectations. Due to the wet weather, the cherries have had constant moisture and moreover, they have experienced little low temperatures lately. This has caused them to be ahead in size. Maybe the quantity on the trees is a bit on the lower side, but it gives the other cherries the space to grow extra large. It looks like we can get a nice large cherry harvest with good quality in the late varieties."
For more information:
Dirk-Jan van Lutterveld
Van Lutterveld Fruit
Boveneindsestraat 22
4041 EJ Kesteren
[email protected]
www.lutterveldfruit.nl