Demand for field vegetables is not too bad, says Jan Bakker of Bakker AGF from Bovenkarspel. "The wet spring has nevertheless left its mark. This results in demand from many quarters. For instance, cabbage prices are very decent. For white cabbage, we have to pay around 40 cents at the farmer's, for red cabbage even 60 cents."
Open field produce is still the main focus of the North Holland wholesaler, which has its patronage mainly within the German and Dutch wholesale trade. "We sell a lot in the German wholesale markets and the surrounding companies. We have our own fleet of vehicles and are quickly present everywhere with our own equipment."
Jan and Rick Bakker.
"There were also shortages in cauliflower and broccoli. At the same time, the prices of carrots, beets and onions have dropped quite a bit, there are still plenty of kilos of those," continues Jan, who has now been active in the vegetable trade for some 60 years. Although in the Netherlands most regions still have holidays, according to the trader, most holidays in Germany are already over. "Spring has gone well, but what the harvest and market will look like for this season, no one knows yet."
Bakker has also been increasingly active in greenhouse vegetables in recent years. "With bell peppers as a runner, both for Class I and Class II towards the slicers, they are well taken up. Peppers did sit at low prices for a long time, but have now risen again to a level around 1.20-1.30 euros. Tomatoes were also at low price levels for a long time. Cucumbers, on the other hand, are now heartily expensive again."
"Fruit sales have also continued pretty well in recent weeks. Although pears let it hang a bit in the last month and a half of the season. Meanwhile, we have started the Triomphe again, and we are also in full swing with summer apples. Apple sales have actually remained fairly level. You do now have the situation that countries like Poland and Germany have their own harvest, so then it takes a while before it's your turn again."
Bakker also does not believe that patronage in the German wholesale markets will decline. "The big flows will go towards the supermarkets, but apart from these there is still plenty of trade happening. In particular, a lot of free trade still goes to the ethnic target group. But every day in AGF is different, and you just have to do your best every day."
For more information:
Bakker AGF
De Tocht 7
1611 HT Bovenkarspel
Tel: 0228-515739
[email protected]