"Up to a week ago, the strawberry season was fantastic", says Jan Engelen of Coöperatie Hoogstraten. "Prices have been excellent in the last few weeks. But from earlier this week, the prices have been in a downward spiral. This dip in prices is a result of higher production. The expected cold weather will reduce demand as well."
Demand has been very high over the past period. "A number of events coincided. These included agreed-upon sales campaigns in Belgium, and Norway preparing for a national holiday. The good weather also helped", says Jan. Scandinavia and France are important sales markets for Coöperatie Hoogstraten. The UK is also going to become increasingly significant.
Hoogstraten, which is based in Belgium, has the same acreage as last year. Jan does, however, expect production to be somewhat lower. "We have heard that the plants are producing less. So, we are expecting a slight decline in the total strawberry volume. Despite the expected decrease, Hoogstraten will still sell more than 30 million kgs of strawberries this year.
"The season depends, in part, on the weather. If temperatures do not dip too low, we can expect the full ground period by the end of the month", he says. Hoogstraten does not expect much competition from other berries. "The berries are very popular at the moment. But, in the spring, a lot of people prefer strawberries. The sun makes people yearn for strawberries", concludes Jan.
For more information:
Coöperatie Hoogstraten
59 Loenhoutseweg (Vault Z.1 - 1050)
2320 Hoogstraten, Belgium
Tel: +32 (0) 33 40 02 11