This year, Belgian company Elite Foods is once again offering the Red Egg tomato, grown in Netherlands, in its range. This mini tomato on the vine, marketed through an exclusive partnership with The Greenery, was added to the Belgian exporter's portfolio last year, but business manager Tuncer Akarca now sees growing demand for the new tomato.
© Elite Foods
Offering the Red Egg tomato, he explains, came in response to market demand. "There is a strong focus on innovation and renewal within the range, so when we got the opportunity to start working with this beautiful variety, we decided not to pass it up. The Red Egg turned out to be an ideal addition. It is a firm, crunchy and particularly sweet tomato with a distinct flavour, similar to the Aromia tomato, recently launched in Belgium."
"The product is very popular among customers, and is currently grown exclusively in the Netherlands. We started on a small scale last year, but this year we are actually working with contracts with our customers. This involves about four pallets a week, but we regularly get requests for additional supplies. There appears to be more demand than supply at the moment, which is always a good sign."
© Elite Foods
Tomato market on the rise
This comes at a time when the tomato market is slowly but steadily picking up. "Recently, the market has been quite volatile. In June, prices were very low due to overproduction and a demand that couldn't quite keep pace. It is now stabilizing again. Volumes are starting to decline slightly, and demand is picking up again after the holidays, especially from the UK. Red Egg is also benefiting from this upswing, so we are expecting good weeks ahead."
In this way, Elite Foods aims to stay as active as possible in seeking new, valuable additions to its range. "As a company, we always try to capitalize on new products and market trends that meet customer needs. It's a way to stand out, and it is appreciated. This way, we can always advise customers on novelties within our network. It is also the added value we can create with our young and ambitious team. The atmosphere is positive, and we recently held a team-building day, which once again showed how well we work together. So we look to the future with great confidence. We are achieving 10 to 15 per cent growth every year, and we want to continue that trajectory in the years to come," Tuncer concludes.
© Elite Foods
For more information:
Tuncer Akarca
Elite Foods
Kempenarestraat 64
2860 Sint-Katelijne-Waver, Belgium
Tel: +32 (0) 15633746
[email protected]
www.elitefoods.be
