While the transition from Belgium to overseas organic pears is slowly but surely taking place, organic grower Hugo Jacobs has already been out of stock for some time. "It has been a very difficult season overall," says the Jacobs Fruit grower from Sint-Truiden, Flanders.
The farm in Sint-Truiden, Belgium, cultivates organic apples, pears, and cherries on approximately 11 hectares. "The heavy rain and early hail caused a significant amount of scab. We wouldn't call it a disaster, but we suffered more than in other years. On top of that, the hail in spring led to a Pseudomonas infestation, which caused many pears to fall to the ground," Hugo explains. "As a result, the harvest was considerably lower. Especially with apples, we were unable to pick much. The sizes were reasonable, but it was still a challenging season."
For the organic grower, this meant his top fruit had run out since early December. "Our pears were shipped to Germany quite early, and perhaps that was not such a bad thing. In fact, we had little to complain about in terms of sales. It became clear quite early that there would be less fruit, which drove strong demand, allowing us to sell at good prices."
Looking ahead to next season, however, Hugo remains hopeful. "For now, the outlook is promising, although it is obviously still very early. The trees are looking good, and with this sunshine, I expect that—provided we don't experience any major setbacks—we can still achieve a good harvest. We have improved tree protection against wet conditions, so we expect fewer losses there. Additionally, frost has not been a major concern yet. It was better to have a brief cold spell last week than to experience severe frost in a few weeks or months when it could cause real damage."
The experienced organic grower had been searching for a potential successor for his farm for some time and has now found one. Like 87% of farmers over 50, he had no heir to take over. "It's still in the early stages, and he is still young, but we are happy to be able to gradually teach him the ins and outs of the business, which may enable him to ensure a smooth continuation in the future. I plan to continue farming for a few more years, but it's reassuring to have a successor who can soon join the business."
For more information:
Hugo Jacobs
Jacobs Fruit
Heide 114
3800 Sint-Truiden, Belgium
Tel: +32 11 592464
hugo@jacobsfruit.be
www.jacobsfruit.be