It may all be doom and gloom in the cucumber market with rock bottom prices in recent weeks, but it is expected that there will be an improvement. The bright sun and an increasing demand, also due to the approaching Easter, will help, estimates Bruno Vuerinckx, Sales Supervisor at BelOrta. "I'm counting on improvement and I think we can make decent prices again in the near future."
Looking back on the past week, Bruno speaks of a 'catastrophe'. "The growers have suffered badly from the low prices due to a huge oversupply. It was a combination of factors, including the closure of hotels and restaurants, the closing of wholesale markets in Germany and France, and at the same time also a lot of light and therefore increasing production."
Improvement
Meanwhile, the demand has picked up this week, precisely because of the beautiful weather with lots of sun and light, and that is reflected, albeit gradually, in the auction prices. They are scrambling out of the dip, although the market is not immediately moving from one extreme to the other. "Demand is not yet in full swing, but prices are slowly returning to more normal levels for the time of year."
Good consumption
No one has experienced anything like this with the lockdowns and everyone sitting at home before. It was therefore inevitable that the market would react to this. "But now that everyone is at home and may grab a fresh cucumber salad a little faster with this weather, there is an improvement. And the run-up to Easter also creates extra demand. After all, everything starts with good consumption and the prospects for that, now that the first corona shock is over, are good. "
For more information:
Bruno Vuerinckx
BelOrta 
Mechelsesteenweg 120
2860 Sint-Katelijne-Waver
+32 (0) 15 56 53 16
bruno.vuerinckx@belorta.be
www.belorta.be