On Pieter Vandooren's organic farm, the celeriac harvest is now behind them. While the farm primarily focuses on leeks, they are also very active in celeriac during this period. "The celeriac is doing well. Demand is good, but the sizes are a bit smaller than in previous years, so we are working with fewer kilos," explains the organic grower from Hooglede, Flanders.
"Two-thirds of the celeriac goes to the fresh market, while the rest is supplied to the industry," Pieter continues. "Despite the lower yields, demand remains strong. It's not as hectic as in the leek sector, where demand has surged since January, but as the season progresses, interest continues to grow. That trend is expected to continue. Looking ahead to next year, we anticipate a 10% increase in contract demand. However, the same pricing challenge always arises in the industry. There is greater demand for produce across all crops, but raising prices remains difficult. When factories approach us, they claim it's cheaper in the Flevopolder, and they tell the same story to growers there, playing us against each other."
"Still, we see that Belgian frozen food factories generally prefer to source produce from Flanders, only turning to Flevoland when necessary. This is especially true for crops like spinach, where Flevopolder specializes. However, when it comes to celeriac, cauliflower, or leeks, they usually try to source them here first," Pieter explains. "And demand is definitely on the rise again. During the COVID-19 period, there was a surge in demand for organic produce, leading to a lot of contracting, but that demand dropped sharply afterward. Perhaps expectations for organic were too optimistic during that time, resulting in over-contracting, followed by a sudden decline after the pandemic. Now, however, we are seeing good contracts being secured again."
This trend extends to multiple crops. "For celeriac, we had a small contract, but we are now doubling our acreage for it. It started on a small scale for a supermarket, but now we have secured a larger contract with them. Celeriac is also growing in popularity. It won't reach the levels of courgettes, which are widely grown and consumed in Italy, but fennel, for example, has a distinct flavor—you either love it or you don't—so despite its rising popularity, there's a limit to its growth. We also cultivate other crops, such as pumpkins and beans, which we have under contract as well."
"In organic farming, we don't experience many issues with demand. Getting into a supermarket can be challenging, but once you build trust, sales remain steady. That's why I believe the future of horticulture looks promising. Both conventional and organic farming are fetching good prices. There's no need for drastic adjustments, so a healthy balance remains, allowing us to move forward with confidence."
"We can make both flow pack and shrink wrap with the same machine"
For more information:
Pieter Vandooren
Yokkerstraat 6
8830 Hooglede, Belgium
Tel: +32 472292756
Pieter.vandooren13@gmail.com