"Harvesting went well," says Jacco van Kessel, who runs Van Kessel Fruit with his brother, Jack. "We had good weather during picking, and the fruit colored nicely." There were varying degrees of hail damage, which this Dutch family business overcame by having their entire Evelina apple orchard under hail nets. "We genuinely recommend growing fruit under those," report the brothers, reflecting on a successful top fruit season. They spoke about expectations for the season, acquiring the Oskam companies, and the Evelina apple's potential.
"Price-wise, the season began well. For us, it's important that something like Conference pears don't become a bulk export market item because there's so much planted. The last pear season didn't end well regarding prices. Growers didn't want to undercut each other and mainly considered the previous season's outcome."
"That led to some growers eventually having to throw away their products. That, while there'd been plenty of sales opportunities. There comes a time when you, as a grower, must be satisfied with the price, however difficult that moment is to determine. Because throwing away produce is so wasteful, and that's not what we work for," say Jack and Jacco.
A significant development for Van Kessel Fruit is the recent acquisition of three companies owned by Kees Oskam. "That fits our picture perfectly. The growing locations are ideal for us, and there are synergistic benefits to our varieties and marketing channels," explains Jacco. The companies will keep operating under their own names but will collaborate more frequently.
The brothers are hugely optimistic about the Evelina apple, which Van Kessel Fruit has exclusive sales rights in the Netherlands. "We see plenty of potential in this concept variety. It's being received very enthusiastically, and clients are very satisfied, which means we are, too," they say. The company primarily focuses on sales to supermarkets and can stretch the supply until July.
The Van Kessels see a challenging future for the fruit sector. "Everyone faces skyrocketing costs, not least for wages. Selling prices will have to reflect that if everyone in the chain is to make a living." They also consider 'nature's whims' as a challenge, particularly with the disappearance of crop protection products. "Dark clouds are looming, but fortunately, they can also blow over," the brothers conclude.
V
an Kessel Fruit
www.vankesselfruit.nl
www.evelina-appel.nl