Chicory sales have been far from easy this year. "It's been a real challenge to supply our customers, and as a result, we couldn't run any promotions," says Dennis Blankendaal of Frysk Witlof, based in Sexbierum. "Although prices were high, we remain committed to our contracts, so we don't benefit from those high auction prices. Staying loyal to our regular customers is important to us."
This year's chicory root harvest started earlier than usual. "Out of necessity, we've had to begin pulling the root much sooner than we'd like, which demands extra labor and costs more in root," Dennis explains. "But so far, the yield has been surprisingly good. Although the harvest is shorter than ideal, the quality is excellent. Based on what we're seeing from the first harvested plots, we're not expecting extreme shortages. However, the structural issues from the spring are evident in the harvest, which means we won't see an oversupply of sprouts anytime soon."
Demand for chicory remains strong, and Dennis doesn't anticipate any immediate shifts. "Most of our sales go to Dutch retailers, and we're finally able to offer the promotions we couldn't earlier this year," he says. "Right now, daily prices hover around €1.90. I don't expect them to drop soon. Although demand has slowed slightly due to the holidays, it's still solid."
Frysk Witlof is harvesting over 300 hectares of chicory grown from Dutch and German roots, making it the largest chicory producer in the Netherlands. "We already know we'll face a root shortage. With recent years' lower root yields, we may need to expand to 400 hectares next year—but that also depends on having enough available land," the grower notes.
For red chicory, the company limits itself to smaller volumes for the Christmas season. "This year, red chicory was extremely expensive, but if there's even a slight oversupply, prices could suddenly collapse."
For more information:
Dennis Blankendaal
Frysk-Witlof B
T: (0517) 59 27 72
M: (06) 83 98 64 24
[email protected]
www.frysk-witlof.nl