Was 2015 just a lucky year for Belgian and Dutch growers?

The domestic production of the standard greenhouse vegetable crops in Holland and Belgium is almost over. Thsi year, the growers have achieved good prices. "Overall, we can look back on a good season," says Belgian trader Benny Cuypers from LAVA. "Cucumbers and bell peppers did well this year. Tomatoes had a difficult start, then had an excellent summer and fall, and now they are unfortunately not doing so well again. Eggplants also had a difficult start, but are doing better now. On the whole, it was a good season."

There have been complaints in the horticulture sector for years now. Has this been just a lucky year? "That is very difficult to say," says Cuypers. "There are many aspects that effect the season, such as acreage, production elsewhere, and overlaps with other seasons. Production was harder in Southern Europe because of the warmth, and we benefited from that here. We also benefited from the fact that Southern Europe's bell pepper acreage was smaller than here. There have been other such influences as well. What we know for sure: if production does well everywhere, our horticulture sector will have a difficult year. What is noteworthy is that there was almost no overlap with the South this fall. Eggplant, cucumber and bell pepper production lined up nicely."