The strawberry season is in full swing at Kwekerij Demedts - De Mey. "We've had beautiful weather, so we're seeing colour everywhere. Not only in the heated sections, but also in the cold cultivation areas, we've really gotten underway. This happened just in time for Easter, which felt like a kind of Mother's Day weekend in terms of crowds," says Benoit Demedts of the nursery in the Flemish town of Gits.
© Demedts - De Mey
The first volumes were picked at the end of March. "Then the Karima variety came in during April. I usually reserve the Sonsation for the cold sections, as they are high-yielding, but we've now also started with those," Benoit explains. "So, just in time for Easter. It fell relatively late this year, and combined with the nice weather, that created huge demand. We actually ran short on strawberries and had to source some from fellow growers. That's still a good sign."
He is also pleased with the quality. "With Karima, we always worry a bit about flavour when there's less sun, but the quality has been excellent with the weather we've had. The flavour is good, and that seems to carry through to the other varieties as well. That's helped sales." Looking at the prices, the grower admits they could have been slightly better. "I had expected them to rise towards Easter, but that didn't really happen. There were quite a few volumes available, but we can't complain. Prices were acceptable for everyone, and from a selling point of view, not too bad. More is always welcome, but it also has to remain affordable for customers. All in all, it's been fine. If the quality is good, we don't have to discard much, and with these prices, we've still been able to sell well."
© Demedts - De Mey
Do prices drop immediately after Easter? "Well, we don't sell directly, but mostly through pricing agreements. That helps level out the peaks to absorb the troughs. But if high prices are achieved, it's always interesting. It will be fine. Today might be a rainy day, which could mean a slight dip. But as long as that's not the case, people will keep coming. For now, we're working towards Mother's Day again, so we need lots of strawberries in production everywhere to meet demand, but I think it will work out. That's also why we're starting Sonsation a bit later. They deliver a solid yield, and we always try to time production for specific moments. This year, that's the Mother's Day weekend, when we aim to be in full production."
Possible price pressure on early cherries
At Demedts - De Mey, the focus is also shifting to the start of the first cherry harvest. Traditionally, the nursery is among the first—if not the very first—to start. "They're also beginning to colour well now. We'll have to see if they're ready by Mother's Day, but they're looking beautiful. We've also had lovely weather. Even though it's indoors, that certainly helps. Last year, the outdoor harvest was extremely early, which didn't benefit us. This year, by contrast, we seem to be early again compared to the outdoor cherries. That gives us a good sales window. It also remains to be seen how the Spanish and French cherries develop. The first Spanish cherries are starting to appear in Brussels, but with prices above 50 euros per kilo, those won't sell easily. They've had poor weather, so that's putting price pressure on early cherries. It's nice if there's a premium, but it has to be reasonable. We'll have to wait and see."
© Demedts - De Mey
For more information:
Benoit Demedts
Kwekerij Demedts - De Mey
Middenstraat 97z
8830 Gits, Belgium
Tel: +32 479 69 08 67
benoitdemedts@gmail.com
www.demedts-demey.be