The top fruit market is off to a strong start this season. "There's already some demand for Conference pears, and the last picked Conference pears are getting better prices than the harvest sale prices, so things are looking positive," observes Emanuel Sluis of trading platform Service2Fruit.
"Prices of 85 to 90 cents for the last-pick pears are substantial. Prices are also climbing now because supply is limited. This could backfire if stocks don't deplete quickly enough, but we'll have to wait and see. Poland is already showing some demand for Conference pears, and Dutch and Belgian packers are very interested in them as well."
"Comice pears are also getting prices comparable to the prices on the trees, with a few additional cents. More Comice pears were picked than initially estimated, but the crop has held up well despite the hail. Lukassen pears are selling decently too, despite significant hail damage. However, the crop is quite uneven, so close monitoring for quality issues is essential. The shelf life of Conference pears is hard to predict, but so far, the market is accepting the hail damage."
"The apple season, led by Elstar, is also off to a good start. We had a normal volume harvested, and prices are solid. With a full harvest and good prices, there's little to complain about. The Jonagold supply is noticeably lower, but it hasn't impacted the daily market yet. The processing industry is helping establish a good base price for apples," Emanuel concludes.
For more information:
Emanuel Sluis
Service2Fruit
De Ooyen 15A
4191 PB Geldermalsen
Tel: +31 (0)885 321 300
[email protected]
www.service2fruit.com