The images of the floods in Spain dominate the news, and their impact on the fresh produce sector is now clear. "The impact is substantial, and I expect it to continue. You can replant, but you're not going to have new tomatoes or courgettes ready in a week," says Henk Vlaeminck of Van Dijk Foods.
"The start of this week will be challenging," he continues. "In the south, they couldn't harvest this weekend, though some shipments may go out tomorrow. Around the Valencia region, they're hoping to load again, but that may not reach us until Thursday at the earliest. Until then, supply will be limited."
For different product groups, Henk notes the impact is especially severe for persimmons. "The damage there is catastrophic. People are reporting very significant losses. Vegetables haven't been hit as hard so far, but I believe the worst is still ahead. If you've seen the images—I was there for a few days—it's truly devastating. Entire roads are submerged, and cars are piled up. Transport will remain challenging, as many workers are now focused on cleanup efforts, which of course impacts production."
"For now, the market impact isn't too severe. Prices are slightly higher than usual, but shortages are inevitable. We've received images from suppliers showing courgette greenhouses destroyed by hailstones bigger than tennis balls. The plants were demolished, and other vegetable crops have likely suffered similar damage."
"Other countries may try to compensate, but Spain is Europe's main vegetable supplier, and—no disrespect intended—the quality from Morocco or Greece is different. I think we'll feel the effects well into the new year, especially around Christmas. It's unlikely we'll have fresh tomatoes, courgettes, or lettuce within a week. We're in for an expensive winter, though predicting just how costly is difficult. The market will ultimately dictate prices, but the impact is sure to be significant. The costs will fall on them as well, so it's a matter of wait-and-see."
"For now, it's day-by-day survival. I could make predictions now, but things could change entirely by next week. The devastation is unprecedented, making it difficult to forecast anything accurately. We had floods in Belgium not long ago, but they were far less severe than what Spain is facing, and we're still recovering from those. You can clean mud out of a house, but where do you take it all? Seeing the images, it's almost unimaginable. It's truly overwhelming and will take considerable time to recover."
For more information:
Henk Vlaeminck
Van Dijk Foods
Kempenarestraat 50
2860 Sint-Katelijne-Waver, Belgium
+32 15 55 65 61
[email protected]
www.vandijkfoods.be