Belgian auction group Lava has said that supply of Brussels sprouts under its quality label Flandria will be reduced this season. As with the UK crop, the main reason is the cool, wet summer in northern Europe.
“Production is slightly down, but the firmness of the sprouts means that they can be harvested at just the right time,” said a Lava spokeswoman.
In recent seasons, output has been rising, and it reached 2,600 tonnes last year, but this season volume through the Belgian auctions will be smaller, although offset by higher quality.
“The plants can slowly continue growing well into the winter, even in frosty conditions,” said the spokeswoman. “The result is firm sprouts that can be harvested throughout the winter. A hot summer makes this more difficult, because the plants grow too quickly.”
Lava expects the season to run until early April, and flavour and keeping quality of the sprouts to be good.
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