"There is currently solid demand for Belgian leeks, but for the trade, prices are actually fluctuating far too much," says Pol Dendauw of Calsa. The Flemish export company from Ardooie is optimistic about a strong leek season. "For now, however, the season is still marked by too much volatility in supply at the auctions," he says.
"The quality is good, and the yield for growers is also satisfactory. They've been able to achieve good kilos per hectare, but many leek growers are also committed to harvesting cauliflower for the industry during these weeks," Pol explains. "So, they might not have time to work on the leeks for two days while harvesting cauliflower, and then they're back to leeks for three days, causing supply to spike. One day, there might be 150 tonnes available, and the next day, 250. This fluctuation is not good for trade."
"I'd be happy if prices were high," Pol continues, "but they need to be consistently high. Then we could all earn well. But when it's 50 cents one day, then 75, and then 60 again, our customers don't like it. They're not pleased if they buy at one price and the next day it's suddenly cheaper. They wonder why we couldn't just tell them in advance, but of course, we don't know either with this level of volatility."
"This fluctuation is a bit disruptive for the market, but I expect it to stabilize soon. In about a week and a half, the cauliflower season for the industry will wrap up, so we'll see more stable leek prices. And as mentioned, demand is strong. Leek growers have had a challenging few years, but for the last three years, they haven't had too much to complain about. Even now, prices are good to very good, and we expect that to continue."
In the export market, demand is currently coming mainly from southern Europe, he notes. "France, Italy, and Spain are active in the market. When they start harvesting their crops in a few weeks, we'll then shift our focus to northern Europe, with Germany, Poland, Denmark, and Norway entering the market. They have their production until the end of December, or at best, early January, but then they'll have to start importing. So, demand will remain strong for a while, and overall, the outlook for the rest of the pricing season still looks promising."
For more information:
Pol Dendauw
Calsa
Roeselaarsestraat 9b
8850 Ardooie, Belgium
Tel: +32(0) 51 74 73 74
[email protected]
www.calsa.be