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Benny Cuypers, BelOrta:

"Pepper prices may recover once the first wave passes and Spanish volumes decline"

The Belgian greenhouse vegetable season is now in full swing. However, things are still going poorly for several products, says Benny Cuypers of BelOrta. "Pepper prices, in particular, have collapsed. We are seeing large production volumes very early in the season, which the market is struggling to absorb."

"It's too early in the season to have such large volumes," the trader continues. "Moreover, the last Spanish volumes are still on the market. However, these are gradually coming to an end, which could allow the market to recover somewhat. Additionally, with peppers, production comes in waves, so once the first wave passes, prices may start to rise a bit. For now, however, the situation remains very difficult, especially for yellow and red peppers. Green peppers, with better prices, seem to be escaping the worst of it."

© MartinBergsma | Dreamstime

Besides peppers, Benny explains that cucumber and tomato prices have also been under pressure. "We experienced two difficult weeks with cucumbers, but that situation has now improved. Production has decreased slightly, and combined with the good weather, this has led to better prices. As for tomatoes, we have seen some price pressure in recent weeks. It has been a very bright year, so production levels are high, resulting in moderate prices for this time of year."

Incidentally, with the sunnier weather, he sees winter vegetables slowly but surely disappearing from the scene. "This is the case for many products, but chicory remains available year-round. However, prices are weak. There are a lot of carrots available this season, leading to high production levels. I'm afraid we will be dealing with that surplus throughout the season. In addition, there are still large volumes of leeks, and these will continue for a few more weeks."

Good start to asparagus season
One product that is currently in high demand is, of course, asparagus. "That has gone very well so far. We already had significant volumes from the beginning of April, allowing us to maintain a good supply through Easter. Demand was strong, and prices were good. With the current weather, we expect volumes to increase further in the coming weeks."

Does Benny fear a price drop then? "It remains to be seen how things will develop, but I don't expect it. So far, prices have been reasonable. You can see that, with the good weather, everyone is now coming into production, which puts a bit more pressure on prices. Still, we expect demand to keep pace, so it's just a matter of waiting to see where the new market equilibrium will settle."

For more information:
Benny Cuypers
BelOrta
Mechelsesteenweg 120
B-2860 Sint-Katelijne-Waver, Belgium
Tel: +32 (0)15 55 11 11
info@belorta.be
www.belorta.be