The Senegalese sweetcorn season is now starting to pick up at Hermans Suikermaïs, although availability remains a major challenge. "We've been dealing with this since December. There were problems with seed germination during cultivation, and we're now seeing the consequences of that. Fortunately, we do have good quality sweetcorn available, but there's simply far too little product," says Giel Hermans.
"We're heading towards spring, so consumption is increasing, but even though more corn is coming in now, we're still lagging behind. Demand is strong—as always, everyone wants corn when there's a shortage. Last weekend I was at the market in Liège, and it was practically a frenzy. Pricing is solid due to the tight supply, although there's not much room for flexibility," Giel continues. He's now looking ahead to the Moroccan season, which will start from mid-April. "Thankfully, the crop there is looking very promising."
Waterlogging in Spain
The same can't be said for the Spanish crop, where 150 millimeters of rain fell over the past two weeks. "We cultivate in the region stretching from Andalusia to Seville and Jerez de la Frontera—precisely the area that took the hardest hit. We've been unable to sow two blocks because of this. Our crop in eastern Spain is in better condition, but that's not where the major volumes come from. So for us, it's a reason to switch back to Morocco after just a week of Spanish corn. Fortunately, we had fields available there for sowing, but they now need to be planted quickly to ensure we have sweetcorn by June and can guarantee continuity for our customers."
Young plot in Morocco
"Here in the Netherlands, we're also getting ready to start sowing. Thankfully, the situation is much better than last year, and we hope to begin sowing under plastic within two weeks, so we can be the first to offer Dutch corn again by 20 July," says Giel. "Unfortunately, it's already much colder than last week and soil temperatures are still very low, but at least this year we're able to get into the fields."
One concern Giel wants to address is the issue of 'over-certification' in the sector. Referring to an overview of all certifications published in the latest issue of the trade magazine AGF-Primeur, he says: "Sometimes we feel more like an administrative office than a sweetcorn company. That really needs to change. Right now, we have to comply with eight different certifications to keep everyone happy. And don't get me wrong—I also believe food safety must always come first—but is it really necessary to have eight overlapping certifications for that? Surely one certificate should be enough."
"For Albert Heijn's 'Better For' certification, at least we get compensated. But for a certification like 'On the Way to PlanetProof', we as a company pay €12,500 per year, and it doesn't earn us a cent. These are costs we simply can't afford as growers. That's why I'm very pleased with the establishment of the Whole Crops Organisation (VGO), which I hope can finally push back. If you still want store shelves to be full in three years, you need growers who actually enjoy their work. Hopefully, this will lead to a new approach—where sparrows can simply live under a roof or a hedge again, rather than being forced into a birdhouse."
For more information:
Giel Hermans
Hermans Suikermaïs
Donk 1a
5995 PL Kessel
Tel: +31 (0)6 5475 7764
giel@mielies.nl
www.mielies.nl