AMSTERDAM: In the Netherlands and neighbouring countries, the harvest results for outdoor vegetables particularly compared to the previous season are fairly high across the line. It will therefore be challenging to sell all product groups properly. However, according to Mtoto Keijzer, owner of Bioport, organic growers can be distinctive with quality and storage this years.
Mtoto’s company works with a permanent group of organic growers from the Netherlands and Belgium. Bioport works directly from grower to customer, and the products are packed according to specifications of the customer, and they also completely take care of transport. They provide services to de-burden both buyer and grower as much as possible. In the field of sales, Bioport is mostly active for wholesalers, industrial processors, vegetable pack companies and packers for supermarkets within the EU. Each sector has its own specific requirements, which can differ per region.
Netherlands, not counting some exceptions. Mtoto mentions the sizes of many products are larger compared to last season. “The yields per hectare were good this year. However, because this is also the case elsewhere in Europe, particularly in the North, it will definitely be challenging to sell all product groups properly. Fortunately, most of the organic growers are well-equipped to store their products for longer periods. This will definitely be a year in which growers can be distinctive in quality, in order to work with their products as long as possible.”
Because of this, the season is clearly different from last season. Export started much earlier then, and prices started higher.
The sales options, for that matter, are very varied per product and per moment, Mtoto says. Two years ago, cauliflower became a hype in a very short time, so that demand was much higher than production in a number of countries. “That coincided with a high production in the Netherlands, which was used for export. Last year, this wasn’t the case as much, because local organic growers anticipated this with the expansion of their cauliflower area.” Because circumstances were difficult due to the brief snowfall in December, more cauliflowers were exported this year. “Dutch growers managed to keep quality of their product acceptable for a while longer, in order to extend sales somewhat.Despite changing seasons, market shifts and a considerable area expansion in the most important sales regions, the Dutch organic outdoor vegetable sector still has a favourable starting position, the trader concludes. “Regarding returns, quality and storage, the Dutch organic growers have built themselves a nice lead. In the past 15 years, much has been invested in high-quality and innovative storage and they continue to be distinctive with their products.
