It is currently a small transition period in soft fruit at Kwekerij Demedts - De Mey. "June and July are our peak months, and in strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries, sales have also continued very well. You can see that the peak rush, also in production, is now over for a while, but that also gives us some space to catch our breath," says Benoit Demedts of the Gits-based nursery.
"We certainly cannot complain about the past few months," the grower continues. "Due to the weather conditions, the quality was excellent. Not only in raspberries, but across the whole spectrum, we have been able to sell good fruit. And that good weather has remained, so the quality has not decreased either. We also saw that in the summer months. In June and July, all our productions came together, so that was hard work. But we managed," he laughs. "We didn't have to complain about the prices either. Now in raspberries, for instance, we mostly work with price agreements, so they are fixed in winter. Still, we haven't really seen real price dips this season either. Demand remains strong. Especially with the sunshine."
© Benoit Demedts
So now the supply peak is behind us for a while. "There are somewhat lower volumes. At the moment, in raspberries, we are only picking a small section, filling the gaps. It is waiting for September and October when we will see some bigger volumes again." Whether demand will then remain even if the weather turns down? "Yes, they are highly weather-dependent products, though, but as soon as the weather gets a bit less here, we see that the domestic market might drop a bit, but then we are often supported by customers from the French market who will always keep asking. If one gets a bit stagnant, the other asks more. Moreover, after the summer months, there is always more demand from patisseries for cakes."
France has become an increasingly important market for the nursery in recent years. "We are quite close to the French border here, of course, so in recent years, that has grown organically. You deliver to a customer, and it is well received. Then it spreads quickly, and customers join every year. It's nice to see how that has grown, and besides, it's a great market to develop. In the end, of course, we do make our choices here, because the most important thing remains to be able to keep supplying everyone well and with confidence. You shouldn't get ahead of yourself."
© Benoit Demedts
Blackberries
In blackberries, Benoit sees the same scenario as in raspberries. "That went on nicely in the summer months, but it is a bit quieter now. In blackberries, we now have some standing of significance for the first time, and for now, we can't complain. Raspberries can be marketed a bit faster, but the Sweet Royalla blackberries are doing very well. We will probably continue with this in the coming years. It's a good addition to our range, and once our customers have tasted them, they keep coming back for them. Wholesalers also specifically ask for them."
For more information:
Benoit Demedts
Kwekerij Demedts - De Mey
Middenstraat 97z
8830 Gits, Belgium
Tel: +32 479 69 08 67
[email protected]
www.demedts-demey.be
