The leek market has seen its share of fluctuations but has now settled into calmer waters. "In summer, consumption is always lower, but by now the hot days are behind us and the leeks have grown well and everything is looking good," says sales manager Gijs van den Oever of Van den Elzen Vegetable Innovators, the largest leek grower in the Netherlands with an area of 270 hectares.
"The leeks from the first plantings in February and March, when it was so wet, did cause some issues, but those are now off the market, and we're into the good plantings. Demand is coming from all sides, including Central Europe. Whether that's due to the floods, I can't say. But as temperatures drop, many people naturally start thinking about leeks," Gijs explains. He is optimistic about leek consumption. "In pre-cut products, 70% of the packages still contain a bit of leek."
He observes that customers are becoming more focused on product reliability due to the increasing weather extremes. "In the past, the emphasis was always on business reliability, but now we see product reliability gaining importance as well. Customers are asking themselves whether they will have access to leeks next year. More and more growers are quitting or scaling back, and no new leek growers are coming in. Customers are increasingly seeking partnerships to ensure they have a reliable product supply."
"For us, as a company that has specialized in leeks, this presents great opportunities. At the same time, the risks associated with growing leeks, given the recent weather conditions, are also increasing—think of hailstorms and severe flooding. You can have a great crop all season and lose everything just before harvest due to extreme weather, which we've been seeing more of in recent years. That risk is growing. We honor our commitments to our customers, but the costs and returns must be balanced."
"Communication about the crop with your buyers is also very important. With the resources available today, it's no longer possible to grow leeks without any damage from thrips. That was achievable with the solutions available ten years ago, but now it's a utopia. Customers will inevitably have to accept more visual imperfections. Acceptance among customers varies greatly, but it all comes down to communication."
According to the sales manager, developments in varieties and concepts are limited in the leek sector. "This is partly due to the number of players. No company in the Netherlands is fully dedicated to developing machinery for leek processing because the market demand is too small. When we bring in a new leek machine, it's often something we've designed ourselves and built to order. As true leek specialists, we're the right company to approach these innovations, and it's no coincidence that we've made it part of our slogan!"
For more information:
Gijs van den Oever
Van den Elzen - Vegetable Innovators
Duifhuizerweg 21
5406 TB Uden
[email protected]
www.vdelzen-vi.nl