Belgium and the Netherlands are consistent suppliers of top fruit to the UK, but this season could throw up challenges as both countries report smaller pear and apple harvests. The Low Countries are keen to focus on their differences, but they share a number of similarities when it comes to top fruit.
Growers in Belgium and the Netherlands have invested in new apple varieties such as Rubens, planted more Conference pear trees and are reporting greater demand from Russia.
Conference is an extremely popular export for both countries and the variety shows no sign of losing its lustre. However, suppliers anticipate significantly smaller volumes of the fruit this season.
Belgian auction Veiling Borgloon predicts a 38 per cent fall in the pear crop this season and is set to handle 177,000 tonnes this year, compared to 286,000t in 2007. “This decrease is across the board and all varieties including Conference, Durondeau and Doyenne will be affected,” says the auction’s Guy Goffings.
Concerns about the availability of Conference pears this season are fairly widespread, and one Belgian source says his suppliers are already willing to pay good prices to ensure they can fulfil their programmes.
Belgium’s largest fruit grower co-operative BFV anticipates pear production will reach 60 per cent of normal volumes, although sizes will be comparable to last season. “During the harvest, there won’t be any problems with deliveries, but from November onwards we can expect periods with fewer quantities, as some growers hold out for good prices and put some of their production in coldstorage,” predicts the organisation’s Diether Everaerts.
Wim De Meulenaer, from Belgian auction REO Veiling, forecasts a 30 per cent fall in the pear crop and says much will depend on the prices offered in neighbouring countries, while Bart Wijgaerts of Veiling Haspengouw argues the market is a “game of offer and demand”.
The Netherlands is also anticipating a smaller pear crop. The Greenery forecasts 70 per cent of the volumes achieved in 2007-08. “This is mainly because the spread of buds per tree has proven to be less dense than last year,” explains Bert Wilschut, product manager for top fruit. “There were two nights of frost earlier this year in the Netherlands. Growers were able to prevent the buds from freezing by spraying them with water, but it did have some detrimental effects.”
The smaller crop has also been attributed to the planting of new trees, particularly Conference. “These ‘younger’ acres have less yield per square metre,” Wilschut says.
But just how much The Greenery exports this season will partly depend on price. “If prices are good in the Netherlands, it might be possible that less volume is exported,” says Wilschut. “Additionally, good harvests in Portugal might increase competition for Dutch pears, but all in all it is a bit too early to make realistic predictions. It all depends on what the UK market is willing to pay.”
Veiling Borgloon says a smaller Conference crop could impact on UK exports, particularly if Russian demand stays at the same level as last year.
But newer pear varieties that are showing promise include Corina and Sweet Sensation. “Corina is an early Conference pear and Sweet Sensation is a Doyenne du Comice with a red bloom, but planted area still remains limited,” says De Meulenaer.
Goffings says that Corina is performing well in the UK, but Triomphe de Vienne and Durondeau are two pear varieties that have lost ground.
There may not have been much varietal change in Dutch pears over the last few years, but the situation is changing. “Different suppliers are planning to introduce new varieties to different markets,” Wilschut reveals.
Last year, The Greenery began a promotional campaign for pear varieties Sweet Sensation and Gold Sensation. Small volumes have been trialled in the UK and The Greenery enjoyed promising results. “We are still developing the production acreage and won’t be having commercial volumes until the end of 2009,” Wilschut says. However, in the meantime, growers are adopting measures to optimise production and handling processes.
Apple orchards were not as badly hit by this year’s frost as pears, but Belgian auctions predict volumes will fall to 311,000t, against 358,000t in 2007. The drop has been attributed to a combination of slightly lower production and a decrease in planted area.
De Meulenaer says it is too early to provide definitive numbers, but he expects that REO’s apple volumes will be six per cent higher than the average.
Hail damage has been worse than previous years, but some marketers argue that Belgium will be offering larger than average sizes. According to Everaerts, there is already strong demand for the new crop due to low European stocks. However, some bi-coloured apples such as Gala and Braeburn may not meet quality expectations and summer varieties could fill the gap.
The Netherlands is looking at a five to 10 per cent downturn on last season’s apple volumes and, like the Belgians, Dutch producers are also optimistic about the quality of both apples and pears.
Both countries have reported good results for their new apple varieties. The Greenery says it has put a lot of effort into promoting new varieties Rubens, Junami and Wellant to the general public. “We have had positive feedback from UK retailers and consumers through tasting sessions, which gives us a positive feeling for the coming years,” says Wilschut.
Belgian producers say the Greenstar variety has enjoyed a good following since the beginning of 2008. “High demand for green apples has ensured rather good sales of Greenstar, especially to the Russian markets,” Everaerts says. The variety is still compared, in some circles, to Granny Smith or a greener Golden Delicious, and it is beginning to make a name for itself, particularly in the German, Swiss and Italian markets. “This green apple is the model of freshness; it does not discolour, has an attractive flesh and a high vitamin content,” Wijgaerts says. “We expect that volumes will increase by approximately 20 per cent to 10,000t. Greenstar is also popular for the convenience market because this apple does not oxidate.”
Insiders agree that both the Kanzi and Greenstar varieties performed well during the 2007 season. According to Wijgaerts, Kanzi sales remained consistently favourable through to the end of February. “The quality was very high and the proof of that was in the large amount of repeat purchases,” he adds.
In Germany, three new produce licences for Kanzi and Greenstar were allocated to MABO, VEOS and OGM. One of the firms is also busy developing business plans in the US, Australia, Chile and South Africa. “From these countries, the first volumes are expected around 2012,” Wijgaerts reveals.
One challenge this year may be the marketing of the larger volumes of newer varieties. However, Wijgaerts says Kanzi has performed well in taste panels and is popular with consumers, so there is confidence in market demand.
De Meulenaer adds that other new varieties to watch include Junami, Rubens and Belgica.
While UK and southern Europe remain favourable markets, Russia has shown a greater interest in both Dutch and Belgian top fruit in recent years and that trend looks set to continue.
According to De Meulenaer, Russian customers are becoming more demanding, with a stronger focus on quality. “Exports to Russia are very important at the moment, but we must remember that this market has its own requirements,” he says.
Veiling Borgloon ships just half its Conference production to Russia and Goffings agrees that there is stronger demand there for better-quality fruit. “In the past, the Russians were only asking for bigger sizes, but they are now also asking for average sizes such as counts 70, 75 and 80, and even smaller sizes,” Everaerts explains. “This has resulted in more consistent price levels and shorter delivery terms.”
Wijgaerts says that Russian customers are willing to pay good prices for pears and it can sometimes be difficult for the UK market to compete. However, he says the UK continues to favour smaller sizes.
In terms of apples, Russia takes around 12 per cent of Belgiam’s exports, with Germany and the Netherlands accounting for the greatest market share. Eastern Europe and the Balkan States are also showing interest in Dutch and Belgian top fruit, although Wijgaerts says this was more to do with poor harvests in the eastern regions last season.
Belgian shipments to the UK are increasing year on year, but some insiders blame the slow rate of growth on retailers. “Of course, our pears and strawberries are still recognised for their top quality, but the standard norms of British supermarkets are so high and different that apples, in particular, do not always come up to their expectations,” Everaerts says.
Some insiders have expressed frustration at the UK’s stringent requirements and they argue that Belgium has already adopted a number of standards, including GlobalGAP and BRC certification.
Marketers, however, recognise that in order to increase UK sales, they need to target the retailers - although they are aware that retailers should not hold all the power.
In retail, there are more private labels and larger buyers with their own preferential suppliers, says De Meulenaer. There is also a growing divide between discounters and more upmarket retailers and this could result in a smaller middle segment. The foodservice sector, in particular fast food chains, is also gaining strength and there is room for growth if added value can be created. In particular, cut fruit salads and fruit juices have some scope.
The Greenery has reported stronger demand for Dutch top fruit in the UK as the successful introduction of new varieties to the category, combined with strong marketing and sales efforts, have led to an increased demand. “We believe a strong concept with high-quality, stringent standards can provide Dutch exporters with a greater market share,” Wilschut tells FPJ. “Additionally, supply needs to be consistent; a lot of attention and control should be on quality and taste.”
However, insiders agree that both fruit sectors face important challenges. “Europe is a rather small top-fruit producer on a world scale and it is more important as a market than as a producer,” De Meulenaer says. “Consumption here will not really see big increases, although convenience and healthy eating are becoming more important issues.”
Producers need to continue focusing on quality, but be more flexible and offer the different types of packaging consumers demand, as well as diversify into niche products where needed, says Everaerts, adding that newer varieties such as Sweet Sensation should boost the sector.
One clear trend in the Netherlands is the up-scaling of growers. “Smaller growers are disappearing and the remaining businesses are expanding in hectares,” Wilschut says. “Growers are increasingly co-operating with each other and sometimes even merging. These large businesses are very professional and often specialise in certain varieties.”
According to Wilschut, growers produced eight or nine different top-fruit varieties several years ago. Nowadays, however, they specialise in one or two varieties and often concentrate on only apples or pears.
Another trend is that the conditioning, packaging and cooling of top fruit is increasingly being centralised. “One of the reasons for this centralisation is that the club varieties we are marketing have precise and strict quality demands,” Wilschut says. “For sales and export companies, this means they are dealing with fewer but bigger players in the market. There are fewer companies that can source top fruit. For The Greenery however, it is easier to guide growers in the growth and cultivation process.”
Furthermore, The Greenery has undertaken several initiatives and begun developing projects for the central cooling and sorting of apple and pears. “This allows us to have a tighter control on the uniformity and quality of our product,” Wilschut adds.
GENERATING NEW FRUIT VARIETIES
Next Fruit Generation (NFG) specialises in developing new added-value cultivars of apples and pears.
Its Sweet Sensation red pear and the Gold Sensation variety are already being planted in commercial volumes in Belgium and the Netherlands.
In the coming years, NFG will continue to introduce a very specific and limited selection of “exclusive novelties”, says NFG’s Victor Eijkman, adding that the UK top-fruit market is particularly important to the firm. “Our strategic aim is to allow 12-month supply by structuring a worldwide network of production licensees,” he tells FPJ.
Joop van Doorn, managing director of NFG, pictured, is excited about prospects for the firm’s red-fleshed apple. “This is a stunning apple with very high antioxidant levels,” he tells FPJ. “Along with adding novelty, it is important that we continue to investigate the benefits of apples and pears by working with universities in the Netherlands and Switzerland to show how eating top fruit can help protect against cardiovascular diseases and cancer and, of course, improve overall health.
“The particularly high levels of quercetin detected in NFG’s red-fleshed apple make it a perfect candidate to promote the health benefits of this fruit and brings focus to the top-fruit category,” Van Doorn adds.
NFG is working closely with two leading UK retailers to market the red-fleshed apple.
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