"The Belgian topfruit season is progressing well so far," says Tony Derwael of Bel'Export. The trader from Borgloon, Flanders, notes that the atmosphere is positive, and people remain calm—different from previous years. "There is sensible clearing," he observes.
"We have a smaller yield than other years," he continues. "Leading up to the harvest, expectations were that fewer pears would be harvested, and ultimately, we began with a third less than last year. This has reduced pressure on the market. People feel there isn't an oversupply, and demand is running its course. The latest stock measurement on 1 November 2024 showed that approximately 200,000 tons of Conference pears remained in Belgium—33% less than last year. Similarly, there are far fewer Doyenne du Comice pears, with just 2,400 tons in stock, a 66% drop compared to last year."
"About 20% of pears were sold in September and October, meaning that if this trend continues, we'll be out of stock by the end of June," Tony explains. "This is desirable for size and both internal and external quality. If everyone sells sensibly, we'll finish the season positively. However, there is one point of concern: the storage quality of the larger fruit. With the early Lucassen variety, we've already seen significant rot and drop-out, which can occur with other varieties too. It's crucial to remain vigilant and take regular samples to ensure quality at the market. I don't want to cause alarm, but this is a potential snag in an otherwise promising situation."
For now, Tony remains confident about the rest of the season. Prices, he says, are satisfactory. "If the retail price is around two euros, growers can earn one euro per kilogram, keeping everyone—consumer, retailer, trader, and grower—happy. That's the current scenario. It's important to avoid disruptions, such as supermarkets suddenly promoting pears for 99 euro cents. That benefits no one. Fortunately, demand is strong, especially with the cooler weather. While domestic demand dominates, there's already increased interest from Spain and Germany, although these markets prefer smaller pears, which are scarcer this year."
Apples 20% more than estimated
A similar situation applies to apples. "On 1 November, apple stocks were a third lower than last year, but due to larger sizes, we ended up harvesting 20% more volume than the August forecast," Tony explains. "The main size is 85/90, which accounts for the additional kilos. Regarding Jonagold, over 50,000 tonnes were in stock on 1 November, a 30% decrease from last year. For other varieties, such as Jonagored, stocks are over 16,000 tonnes (-31%), while Golden apples are down to just over 9,000 tonnes (-46%)."
"Consumption remains steady, mainly in the domestic market. Retailers still purchase the larger sizes, and consumers appear satisfied, so we don't anticipate issues. However, as with pears, careful attention to storage quality is essential."
For more information:
Tony Derwael
Bel'Export
Neremstraat 2
3840 Borgloon - Belgium
Tel +32 12 440 551
[email protected]
www.belexport.com