NL: 'the weather is of all importance'

At Koninklijke FruitMasters in Geldermalsen the season starts earlier than last year, Ton de Jong tells. "We started almost two weeks earlier than in 2017. February had relatively warm and sunny days, which stimulated the product to grow. Growers also planted a little earlier."

On the first Friday in March the first Clery strawberries were auctioned at the Geldermalsen auction. The red fruit was supplied by Aardbeien van Jan from Uden. Jan van den Elzen grows varieties of different qualities. Peter van Weverwijk has bought the first box of 9 x 250 gram Clery strawberries for the price of €20.70 per box. The auction, together with Jan, donated the total amount of €136.30 to the National MS Fund.

Peter van Weverdijk receives Clery strawberries from Henk van Oosteren

"We start the season with the Clery, then follows the Sonata and then the Elsanta. We have noticed that our customers are always waiting for the Dutch strawberries. We can supply strawberries all year round, but sun grown strawberries are available from the beginning of April until the end of December."

Often dark days
At Coöperatie Hoogstraten the season of sun grown greenhouse strawberries in the second week of March. Bart van Olmen: "This is slightly later than last year. Usually we are able to supply sun grown strawberries at the end of February." The weather is the main cause of the delay. "At the end of December, in January, and in February we have had a lot of dark days. The last two weeks were cold but bright, which sped up growth somewhat." Also, particularly the earliest outdoor growers and especially the growers who use racks have delayed the planned planting for the second half of February at least two weeks. They did so to prevent freezing of the plants.

Supply
According to Ton the Dutch area has grown again. "I can't say by how many percent." Bart thinks it has remained the same. "There have been some company extensions, particularly in the greenhouse horticulture, but at the same time some older companies have closed up shop. In the course of the season there could be some growth in outdoor cultivation, and also the number of summer growths is not yet set. It's a bit like reading tea-leaves."

Shift in varieties
Bart does see some shifts within the varieties. The early varieties are mostly Sonata and less Clery. Murano is the number one in the ever-bearing varieties. The supply of June bearing varieties Magnum and Malling Centenary is slightly increasing. These new varieties were supported in the sale by the auction being a test variety. In the entirety of the production the growth of Elsanta, particularly grown in portable tunnels, is slightly going down in the advantage of Magnum. "Elsanta is still our most important variety."

Murano at Veiling Hoogstraten

The strawberry growers connected to Hoogstraten are Belgian. The auction has been working together with CLTB Zundert for years. "About a third of our total strawberry production is coming from Dutch growers who sell their products through Zundert at our auction."

Bart does not know yet if it will be an early or a late season. "For now it is a bit later because of the weather we have had in the past months. The last weeks of February were cold, but bright, so we could catch up a little. The weather in March and particularly in April is of importance."

With regard to packaging Ton notices that top-seal is the most common. Open boxes are mostly supplied to hotels and catering, but stores only have top-seal nowadays.

This article appeared before in edition 3, 32nd volume of Primeur. See www.agfprimeur.nl.

For more information:
Koninklijke FruitMasters
+31 (0)345 578 800
[email protected]
www.fruitmasters.com

Veiling Hoogstraten
Tel: +32 33 40 02 11
[email protected]
www.hoogstraten.eu