Belgian summer cauliflower is forecast to enjoy an early start to the season thanks to an exceptionally mild spring. A mild winter has also helped and the Lava auctions in Belgium are forecasting a “normal to good season” for the summer crop of their Flandria quality-marked produce. “The outdoor crop is heavily dependent on the weather,” said a Flandria spokeswoman. “If there is no late cold spell or extremely wet weather in early May, the season can get underway early. Normal rainfall cannot do any harm.” Traditionally supply of outdoor summer cauliflower peaks very quickly at the start of the season and 20 per cent of the entire crop will be auctioned by the beginning of June. At the peak of the season, 1.1 million heads are cut a week.
Meanwhile, the strawberry season has also enjoyed an early start and a reasonable volume of Belgian fruit was already on stream by the middle of last month: a full two weeks ahead of recent averages.
The 2007 crop is expected to reach 40,000 tonnes slightly above levels for 2006. May and June are the main supply months when 8,400t and 11,200t respectively are set to be harvested.
