Ask Dirk van Nieuwkerk how the tomato business is getting along, and you’ll receive a cryptic answer: “I’d use a four-letter word,” he snarls. According to the Anaco Greeve salesman, the past few weeks were just barely okay, but last week was a downright disaster. “We’re just not making any money. The volumes coming in from Spain are alright, but the whole thing is so sloppy.”
“The vine tomatoes in particular were doing a bit better last month, but right now sales have plummeted. Which of course is a shame, as the season has been such a bitter one already. We were hoping for a more pleasant conclusion to the season, but what can you do?”