In just under six weeks, the 2025 season will come to an end at Gemapa, a sweet pepper grower in Nevele, East Flanders, Belgium. It's been a year marked by an expansion of the packing facility — and, unfortunately, by disappointing prices, says grower Liesbeth Lambrecht.
"It's been a poor year in terms of prices, and we really didn't see that coming. This week production has slowed down a little, but the prices remain below expectations. As we move toward the end of the season, I don't think that's going to improve anymore."
On the crop side of things, Liesbeth is much more positive. "The cultivation itself has gone well," she explains. "The same goes for fellow growers. We've had very little Fusarium pressure and all areas have stayed healthy. That's a relief. Unfortunately, the market simply hasn't been able to absorb the volume."
Spain has also started to appear on the market, adding extra pressure to a season that already had high supply levels. "We're heading toward a higher net production than last year, when it was darker and yields were lower. From a production standpoint, that's a good achievement for us."
© Gemapa
New varieties, new substrate
At Nevele, Gemapa grows red and yellow bell peppers on a total area of 8.7 hectares. The plan for next year is to continue with the same area, but with a focus on two specific varieties: Mathieu for red and Yedda for yellow.
"Mathieu is a real front-runner when it comes to kilos. In trials, it yielded two kilos more last year, and this season it has proven itself again," says Liesbeth. She is equally pleased with Yedda, especially because of its resistance to internal rot, which she had already praised earlier in the season.
Substrate developments are also being closely monitored at Gemapa. Next year, the company will switch entirely to coco substrate. "We tested with it this year and will now make the full transition," Liesbeth explains.
Expansion and automation
This season also saw an expansion of the packing facility, as the lower floor is used for pepper processing, while the upper floor now provides extra housing for staff, something that became the main reason for the expansion. Liesbeth is quick to downplay it: "But hey, there are far more exciting things happening in the world of peppers," she laughs.
No major projects are planned for the coming winter, but automation is high on the agenda in Nevele. "This year, we used AI for the first time in sorting peppers by quality. Finding skilled people for this task is becoming increasingly difficult. Over the next few years, I expect we'll take automation even further. My bet is that in the future we'll move toward fully automated sorting."
© Gemapa
For more information:
Gemapa
[email protected]
www.paprikakwekerijgemapa.be
