With Easter on the horizon and spring sunshine in the sky, the strawberry season is truly getting underway again in Belgium and the Netherlands. "You see people switching from the Spanish supply to local strawberries at the end of March or early April. It's been a long winter, but especially leading up to the Easter weekend, strawberries once again become the number one product among supermarkets, specialty shops, and consumers," says Guy Van Leene of wholesaler Thiry Gent.
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Thiry Gent, part of the Primamundo Group, operates from the local wholesale market, supplying customers in East and West Flanders, Flemish Brabant (Brussels region), and parts of the Netherlands (Zeeuws-Vlaanderen). "In early April, the local strawberry supply doubled compared to the expected volumes. When exports start to pick up as well, that can only be positive," Guy explains. "If everything had to be sold solely in Belgium, there would be too many strawberries at the moment, but I suspect that with the current volumes, exports will jump in."
"We're hearing that from the market as well," the trader continues. "Exports to France have been difficult due to their own production and the incoming Spanish strawberries, but I do see that several exporters, who focus exclusively on France, are now starting to buy. So let the season kick off."
Away from day trading
Still, Guy foresees a shift taking shape in how strawberries are sold in Belgium. "I have to say—just like last year—that the huge price fluctuations we're seeing lately are not conducive to trading. A little fluctuation is fine and can generate profit, but when you buy strawberries early in the week for 2 to 3 euros per box and pay 5 euros just two days later, those are changes we can't justify to our customers. More and more, we're seeing suggestions for fixed price agreements."
"That approach is already much more common in the Netherlands, but it hasn't really taken hold in Belgium yet," he continues. "Slowly but surely, though, we see the sentiment shifting in that direction here too. Day trading, especially for our supermarket clients, is no longer feasible. You can't explain to a category manager that strawberries cost €1.50 today and €3 tomorrow. As a result, people are increasingly leaning toward long-term pricing agreements. It's not a transition we'll see fully play out this season yet, but I believe it's coming. We'll have to adapt."
Sun King
As for quality heading into summer, Guy is satisfied. "Everything is looking very good. The early sunshine has really boosted growth, so we have little or nothing to complain about when it comes to the taste of the strawberries. Last year, we saw a completely different picture, with pessimism dominating due to a wet and gloomy spring. That delays the fruit and dampens consumer enthusiasm for summer produce. This year's sunshine is a gift from nature—hopefully it stays that way for a while."
"In such conditions, demand is always there. I'm in frequent contact with growers, and you can almost tell them: 'Just plant a few extra strawberries.' When the sun is shining, there can never be too many. That's the thing with strawberries—they're the ultimate weather-dependent product. And if this weather continues, they practically sell themselves. We're also seeing hardly any dumping prices anymore. We didn't have that even last year, and I don't expect to see it this year, either. If the sunshine holds up, we're in for a great summer, with peak supply arriving in May," Guy concludes.
For more information:
Guy Van Leene
Thiry Ghent
Brugse Steenweg 7/40 magazijn 25
9940 Evergem, Belgium
Tel: +32 (0) 9 222 57 11
info@thirygent.be
www.primamundo.com