Around 27 years ago, Jeroen Bosschaart found his way to vegetable exporter Le Dauphin in Brittany, France, through a job advertisement in the industry magazine Primeur. He's now been the director of the Breton vegetable export company for years, focusing mainly on the Benelux, United Kingdom, and Scandinavia, though Le Dauphin is now active in many countries.
Jeroen Bosschaart with his colleague Myriam Le Gall during Fruit Attraction
2024 a challenging year
"2024 has been a rather difficult year so far. The cauliflower season was volatile, with high prices followed by sluggish sales in Northern Europe when all production areas hit the market at once. By mid-April, supplies had run out, and by mid-May, we were empty. We managed well through the summer, though," Jeroen explains. Planting is about 3-4% lower for the new season. "While that isn't ideal, last season we left about 10% unharvested due to a severe storm in early November and heavy rains that caused a lot of crop loss. If all goes well this season, we hope for a larger harvest than in 2023/24."
Le Dauphin offers a wide range of Prince de Bretagne products, from tomatoes, mini-vegetables, heirloom varieties, shallots, and pumpkins to brassicas like savoy cabbage, Romanesco, and colored cauliflower. "The auction system remains a key pillar for Breton growers. We hold daily clock sales, and we now also offer weekly and seasonal sales for certain products. This blend of procurement systems makes us appealing to a wide customer base, as not every customer buys in the same way. The challenge is to sell the full product range to clients, not only by volume but also in mixed pallets," Jeroen explains.
Promising artichoke varieties
"Artichokes remain a crucial product for us in the summer months. This season is now wrapping up, and growers are pleased with the outcome. Thankfully, we didn't experience the supply peaks and waste we saw in 2023," Jeroen notes. According to him, there are promising developments in artichoke varieties. "The Camus variety will be replaced by a new, unnamed variety that looks very promising, much like the purple Cardinaal. If it's just as round, green, and compact, it will boost sales!"
When asked about the biggest challenge, Jeroen points to ensuring that growers can keep growing. "Especially for labor-intensive crops like cauliflower, artichokes, and heirloom vegetables, finding labor is increasingly difficult. This makes it essential to keep discussions open with grower organizations and explain where opportunities lie. If growers receive good prices, they'll continue to invest in the future!"
For more information:
Jeroen Bosschaart
Le Dauphin
ZI des Carmes - BP 62
29250 Sant Pol de Leon, France
Tel: +33 298692622
[email protected]
www.ledauphin.fr