Coöperatie Hoogstraten expects the peak weeks of autumn strawberry production to take place over the next fortnight. The cooperative is still very much in the middle of the autumn season, but is already keeping an eye on the upcoming winter season. "These two weeks will be the peak weeks of autumn, with about 700 tons per week. After that, volumes will quickly start to decline because some Elsanta acreage has been converted to everbearers, which will finish production at the end of October or early November," says Michiel Vermeiren of Coöperatie Hoogstraten, which also announced this week its partnership with the Aardbeiencross Merksplas.
© Jannick Flach | HortiDaily.com
"In the past, the unexposed autumn crops mainly consisted of Elsanta varieties that continued well into November. But with the switch to everbearers, we'll soon have slightly lower volumes," Michiel continues. "From the Elsanta crops, higher yields are expected because the plants have set fruit well. That will make up for some of the shortfall if the everbearers taper off. But overall, production will be slightly lower."
Belgium and the Netherlands remain an interesting alternative to Morocco and Spain
Does that mean there will be a production gap during that period? "After these peak weeks, volumes will indeed decrease fairly quickly. At the end of November and into December, production from North Africa will start coming in, and trade channels will naturally shift toward that fruit. During the core winter period, we will have about 13 hectares of exposed cultivation in production."
Michiel notes that demand currently comes mainly from export markets, a trend that will continue during the winter season. "At the moment, a large share of volumes is going to the UK, where demand is particularly strong at this time of year. Local production there is experiencing a small final surge and will continue for another week or two, but after that, there will be plenty of opportunities for our growers. Even in winter, a significant share of our strawberries goes to foreign retailers in both standard and premium lines, alongside regular domestic customers. For our growers, these high-risk crops must be profitable, which is why we secure a base volume through contracts in addition to sales via the auction. Retailers mainly look for reliable suppliers in terms of volume and quality. In this regard, Belgium and the Netherlands remain an interesting alternative to Spanish or North African products."
© Coöperatie Hoogstraten
A shift toward everbearers has recently gained momentum, with many growers viewing it as an attractive option. Still, there are occasional doubts about flavour compared to June bearers. According to Michiel, however, there are a few issues in this regard. "From summer through the current autumn season, you don't notice major flavour differences. But of course, together with our growers and Proefcentrum Hoogstraten, we are closely monitoring the development of new everbearer varieties. Growers are increasingly opting for these for economic reasons, more balanced production patterns, better labour planning, higher returns, and so on. At Hoogstraten, we naturally look for everbearers that fit our story in terms of taste and quality. Our cooperation with the Trial Centre helps enormously in that respect."
Main partner Aardbeiencross Merksplas
With the winter season approaching, another piece of news was announced last week. Coöperatie Hoogstraten will be the main partner of the Aardbeiencross in Merksplas on 15 November 2025. "This partnership fits perfectly with our values: health, exercise, and healthy food," explains director Hans Vanderhallen. "In our region, strawberries truly take centre stage. Everything organised here often has a link to strawberries, a strawberry brunch, a strawberry hockey cup, and, for many years now, Aardbeiencross. It used to be held on our own grounds in Hoogstraten. Those were fantastic editions, attracting 10,000 to 15,000 visitors and featuring riders like Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel at the start."
© Aardbeiencross.be
That is no longer the case today. The cross has faced a few challenging years, yet Coöperatie Hoogstraten decided to keep its name attached to the event. "In the meantime, our site has been completely built up, so the event had to move. The organisers found a new location at the Kolonie estate in Merksplas. Still, we continued to support the event even during difficult times. First came the pandemic, then storm damage, both with major financial consequences. But after more than 20 years of cooperation, we didn't think it was appropriate to pull out just because things got tough. In our sector, we know that good years alternate with less good ones. As a cooperative, we believe in long-term relationships with our growers, customers, and partners. That's why we have also agreed with the new organisers to continue supporting the event as main and title sponsor."
"In doing so, we want to make our name and presence at the event a little more visible than before. Not only at the cross itself, but throughout the week, there will be youth activities and amateur races that we will also support and attend. Sport is a great way to showcase our product to a broad audience. Moreover, this local and authentic initiative fits perfectly with who we are and what we stand for."
For more information:
Michiel Vermeiren
Coöperatie Hoogstraten
Loenhoutseweg 59
2320 Hoogstraten, Belgium
+32 33 40 02 11
[email protected]
www.hoogstraten.eu
www.aardbeiencross.be
