The blackberry season kicks off this week at The Greenery in the Netherlands. They will receive the first shipment from the greenhouses of their grower, Jongfruit in Dongen. "We have significantly increased our blackberry volumes this year. We have two more greenhouse growers. We are also acquiring more acreage for full ground cultivation", says Leon Vissers of this Dutch fruit and vegetable wholesaler.
According to him, soft fruit has enormous potential. "You see sales increasing considerably. Not only with us, but nationwide. We have started to actively bring the season forward by means of lit cultivation. We want to still investigate whether we can, in the long term, offer Dutch blackberries as part of a year-round assortment."
"This will only succeed with a high quality, standard product. We have seen a huge demand for blackberries in the past few years. This is from supermarkets who often do not want to commit to a campaign because there are still considerable fluctuations in price. The volume expansion could be a step in the right direction to give our clients a constant supply of blackberries", says Leon.
When it comes to greenhouse cultivation, The Greenery deals primarily with the Loch Ness variety. This cooperative is, however, committed to bringing improved varieties on the market. "In the United Kingdom, blackberry consumption is by far the highest. We expect this growth curve to continue in other countries in coming years. We are ready for this", concludes Leon.
For more information:
Leon Vissers
The Greenery
Tel: +31 (0) 180 656 977
Mob: +31 (0) 651 716 466
l.vissers@thegreenery.com
www.thegreenery.com