Accon avm:
"2012 no miracle year for Dutch horticulture"
Roland van den Bogaard, advisor at Accon avm, gives a brief overview:
Pricing was disappointing in 2012
In both tomato, cucumber and pepper cultivation, overall pricing was disappointing. "After assessment in the third quarter the figures seemed encouraging. However, now that the final balance is made up, it’s still a major disappointment. The rising energy prices have caused an increase in costs for a lot of greenhouse vegetable growers," says Van den Bogaard.
Cucumbers
The cucumber cultivation yielded better results for companies with three crop cycles. Van den Bogaard: "In many places the third crop was brought in earlier. Due to the higher gas prices many opted for a later start, causing the greenhouses to remain empty for longer periods of time."
Two crops
Companies with only two crops of cucumber and tomatoes in the Autumn, are generally worse off. Van den Bogaard: "The average price in cucumbers was lower than in companies with three crops. With year-round tomatoes it is difficult to give a general picture because of the many varieties. In the regular segment vine tomatoes and peppers, pricing in October and November was disappointing. The glass strawberry growers had a better year compared to 2011, probably because of a better spring propagation. The Autumn harvest came to a slow start in terms of pricing, but recovered later on. Especially the later growers have benefited from this."
