With the Italian cherry season all but over and Turkish exports underway, Dutch fresh produce company Fruitmasters has kicked off the Netherlands' own domestic cherry season with a special event held in conjunction with two key grower-suppliers, Janny Trouw and Hubert Verschure, in the province of North Brabant.
Fruitmasters chief executive Kees de Kat and Elies Lemkes, director of grower association ZLTO, were presented with this year's first punnets of Dutch cherries, before declaring the new campaign officially underway.
Visitors present at the event, which took place at De Kersenhof (The Cherry Garden) in Raamsdonk, were then offered a tour of the growers' orchard and an opportunity to taste the new-season fruit.
With Spanish Picota cherries still available, however, it is understood that prices will remain under some pressure in Europe as supplies from Turkey continue to enter the market.
However, prices in general are reported to be holding up well.
