Spanish greenhouse vegetable sales are not great at the moment. "It's cold in Spain, so Almeria and Murcia are sending little product. And sales here, in the Netherlands, aren't going well either. Prices are all €1 to €1.50 below those we should be making. The minimal incoming product is going to stay that way for now, but there's little strength in the market," says Pieter de Ruiter of 4Fruit Company.
"We should be getting between €8 and €9 for red bell peppers, but we're struggling to get €7.50. We're making €10 - €11 for yellow bell peppers, which should actually be a bit more. It's not easy. Cucumbers should also be slightly more expensive. The tomato market's going a bit better, though. For round tomatoes, we get €7 to €8 and a tenner for plum tomatoes. For vine tomatoes, on the other hand, we should be fetching around €11, and we're only getting €9."
The Netherlands' anticipated high gas prices and fewer early crops do not affect Spain as much, says the importer. "In Almeria, there are cucumber growers who normally cull their crop in mid to late January and switch to watermelons," Pieter explains. "But if you want watermelons at the end of April, they have to be planted by early February; else, you miss the boat. Others keep growing cucumbers. But, now it seems the expected surcharge is lagging."
"It's practically the same for full soil vegetables. It's been cold in Murcia, and iceberg lettuce growers have, at most, 4.5-5kg/box. But that fetches €10. Broccoli is disappointing; it should be a bit pricier. Spain has less cauliflower, which should be getting nice prices, but France has enough. So, no-one in the line's generally making big money," Pieter concludes.
For more information:
Pieter de Ruiter
4 Fruit Company
30 Handelsweg
2988 DB, Ridderkerk, NL
Tel: +31 (0) 180 641 902
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.4fruitcompany.nl
