The vegetable market in greenhouses is “summer full” Wholesaler Gebroeders Michiels. “It’s not always quiet since all the products are available. From cucumbers and tomatoes to aubergines and peppers. There’s no peak sales in any other region, however small numbers in this and that will make up the final total,” says Barry Michiels of Sint-Katelijne Waver, an exporter based in the city.

“We aren’t able to say that it’s extremely bustling,” the trader continues. “And why? It used to be that there were dozen or more exporters selling their products to Germany, England or France. These days, however there are homesales systems. This could mean that 30 customers will purchase products directly from wholesale markets. This market is becoming fragmented more as it gets.”

“We remain primarily an service provider. German wholesalers are now aware of what a product’s price is by the centimeter; this transparentness is increasing more. It’s for us all about ensuring that we purchase fresh food every day in order to provide quality products and give quick delivery. It’s almost like looking at this as a logistics transport service that takes us between here and Germany,” Barry explains.

Volatile

This season, however, has not been as wanted by the exporters. “Normally April months, June and May are among the most pleasant months for exports. But this year, the weather hasn’t been great. The reason is simple. It’s been three months since we’ve had a complete week of sunshine in the last 3 months. We observed this the supply as well as sales. Tomato volumes have been volatile. It is true that you pick six weeks later than you would normally, and even if the weather was good in June and May then there’d be lots of tomato crop available. The days are just improving, but it won’t be a big deal till the month of August. In reality, the sun has been a disappointment during the past three months.”

For tomatoes, this volatility has been transferring to the demand part. “Aubergines as well as cucumbers, peppers and even cucumbers are all doing very well, however tomatoes aren’t selling as well. It seems similar all over the world. The year before, our most sought-after tomatoes were that of the San Marzano tomato with crown. No one could resist it, and we were able to sell 10 pallets a day to be exact. They now have plenty of stock from the Netherlands as well as Germany also has a lot of supplies of its own. So even if we only lose 3 pallets a day, that’s an awful lot. This is evolution, naturally. When a product is successful and is popular, the industry will jump on it. It was the case in cucumbers, and also with tomatoes. The next year could change. In addition, it depends on the weather conditions, as during the week of sunshine and the price of food was also up. It’s not much to talk about, however it can affect the price.”

“It isn’t going to improve in its structural structure in the near future,” he continues. “Until 15, August I am expecting an orderly market. There will be some weeks that are slightly distinct from the others, like you can see now however, I do not see it going into a flurry. Everybody is gradually going on leaves and demand is decreasing. This happens each year, and once August 15 is over typically, we see it change. The school year begins again, and the demands are high. Let’s all pray that we will be able to take advantage of the sun a little more in the coming days too.”

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Barry Michiels

Gebroeders Michiels

Kempenarestraat 50

2860 Sint-Katelijne-Waver, Belgium

Tel: +32 (0)475 262 482

[email protected]

www.gebroedersmichiels.be