Berries from the low countries continue to enjoy a favourable reputation with UK customers as media campaigns spur on seemingly voracious consumer demand for what is now regarded by many as a super-healthy, delicious and ultra-convenient snack food. Dominating consumer favour, the strawberry takes the lion’s share of sales in the UK, and supplying it with large volumes right through the year, Belgium and Holland are established experts in the field. They are renowned for their berry production, which includes not only strawberries but also raspberries, blueberries, redcurrants and gooseberries, among others.
In terms of strawberries, both countries focus mainly on the staple Elsanta variety, which, for many companies makes up almost 95 per cent of total production. However, recent years have seen growers diversifying into new varieties, particularly Selva and Darselect, which some Belgian growers are producing in increasingly large quantities. New varieties Elsinore and Elvie 2 are also gaining interest thanks to their early growing potential and long shelf life.
Virtually identical seasons mean the two countries are direct competitors in the berry business, boasting the same climate, growing many of the same varieties and deploying similar growing techniques.
In the Netherlands, strawberries are mainly grown in the south of the country near the city of Breda, and cultivation of other types of berries is more concentrated in the country’s central regions.
In Belgium, strawberries are grown in different areas: north, the area of auction Veiling Hoogstraten; and central eastern parts, covered by Veiling Haspengouw, Belgische Fruitveiling (BFV) and Veiling Borgloon.
“Belgium’s mild climate is very good for growing berries,” says Leen Guffens of Vlam, a Brussels-based organisation set up to promote Flemish produce. “This makes it possible to produce a lot of berries rather early and late, but also, during summer, this means growers can achieve a large production level.”
However, as well as each other, the countries have to compete with overlap from the German and UK berry seasons among others, and Belgian producers are becoming increasingly frustrated at the UK’s shift towards buying its own home-grown fruit during the season. “UK customers prefer their own produce and only buy imported fruit if there is not a sufficient amount of their own crops,” says Eddy Bal, a berry specialist for Veiling Borgloon in Belgium. “I think that the Belgian export levels to the UK will decrease because production in the UK is now growing.”
Bal expects the country’s strawberry exports to suffer most at the hands of this trend, although increased UK production, coupled with increasing import competition from other berry-producing countries, will more than likely see Belgium’s UK exports of blackberries and raspberries fall as well, he says. And, varieties most likely to see sustained export figures over the coming seasons are redcurrants and blueberries.
While a drop in UK exports may present a mounting concern for producers, Belgian domestic demand is actually increasing at a healthy rate, particularly for raspberries, blackberries and blueberries. Figures from Bal show that last year berry supply reached a record amount, with raspberry production increasing by 20 per cent on the previous year. And Bal’s company expects this number to increase again this year. Last year also saw blackberry supply up 22 per cent, but the rising star was the blueberry, supply of which swelled by 62 per cent over 2005, after being reinvented in the press as a superfood. This is partly down to increased area, but also on yield per hectare. Redcurrants too are becoming more popular in the UK, steadily becoming Belgian’s fourth biggest market for the berries, behind Germany. “Berries get more and more popular because people love variety,” Bal says. “This means customers now demand that supermarkets stock the different berries and we have to distribute a broad offer for their shelves.”
He says that while the UK is one of its major export markets along with the Netherlands, Germany and France, the country’s growers are increasing their market share in Russia, Sweden and Norway.
Gerard van Loon, from Netherlands fresh produce exporting company The Greenery, explains that the UK is currently its most important focus in Europe, a position partly aided by the company’s strong business ties with major UK fruit marketers such as Angus Soft Fruits and BerryWorld.
It seems that on the back of such rampant demand, both countries are working hard to try to extend their seasons as much as possible. The introduction of new varietal mixes plays a big part in this, but more notably, the amount of berries produced under cover has risen in recent years. “We supply the most glasshouse fruit for the UK - it is our main customer for soft fruit,” van Loon says, pointing out that The Greenery began production of raspberries in glasshouses this year.
“When you can decrease the effect of the climate, you have more certainty when growing berries,” explains Bal. “This means growers are choosing covered production more and more. This year, the early redcurrants we produced did very well in covered production. Normal production for us starts in open field at around June 20 - the covered production had already started at the end of April. And the auction expects another increase of the early redcurrant production still.”
Also growing strawberries, raspberries, redcurrants, blackberries and blueberries, van Loon says the majority of The Greenery’s berry exports are produced during its glasshouse production period from October until January, although the introduction of assimilation lights means the company can now grow for an extra three months from February to April. These exports, he says, are actually increasing, especially volumes of blueberries and raspberries, and the knock-on effect of this is that many salad producers with greenhouses dedicated to the production of tomatoes and cucumbers are turning to soft-fruit growing, predominantly strawberries and some raspberries.
Bal indicates season extension is a major focus for many Belgian growers, and hopes a greater production period will help growers supply a large gamut over a long period. Veiling Borgloon even organises information meetings with growers to try to reach this, he says.
Bart Wijgaerts, marketing and communication manager for Veiling Haspengouw, says one of the major issues growers have to contend with is the strict standards now needed to supply many markets, which demand berries - a particularly delicate comestible in the fresh produce industry - arrive in tip-top condition.
In the long-term, this has prompted growers to up their quality standards as, “specialised growers can better meet the strict book of specifications for the different retail chains,” he says, but it is also a case of just employing good basic practises: “In the summertime, it is important that growers don’t deliver their berries too ripened, because the fruit mostly does have to travel a certain distance.”
Whether the Dutch and Belgian berry growers overcome the challenges they face, particularly as suppliers to the UK market, which will potentially demand lower and lower volumes over the next few years, remains to be seen.
There is of course also a problem with increasing competition from new EU accession states, such as Poland, which currently have the advantage of lower production costs than Belgium and the Netherlands, which in turn struggle with high energy prices.
However, the fact berry popularity continues to soar, and that production is increasing year-on-year means the mood is positive, and both countries are ploughing money into improving the quality of their berry offering to sustain demand. “We have different research stations to look for new techniques and provide information to growers,” says Guffens.
While the media’s good news stories suggest berry sales are soaring unabated, some growers have experienced problems due to oversupply. Wijgaerts says the auction at one point last year experienced sluggish demand for its berries and inevitably, this meant lower prices for growers. In response to this dilemma, he says berry producers need to communicate more efficiently with each other to ensure that production is more evenly spread, “It would be interesting too, if growers were to make agreements with their customers in advance,” he says.
While van Loon agrees that the industry will see growers across the world communicating on a more professional scale, he predicts consolidation for the sector: “There will only be a few players left on the [Dutch] market in the next five years, and The Greenery will be one of them,” he says. “I think there will be more international collaboration between the main players, and growers will be producing on a bigger scale.”
PACKING EXTRA PROTECTION FOR BERRIES
Veiling Borgloon is introducing a new type of berry packaging designed to help keep berries in optimum condition.
The cardboard packaging is 60x40cm with 10 plastic punnets for raspberries and blackberries. The special ‘flatpack’ design means that it contains only one layer of fruit, with bubble plastic beneath and with lids to protect the berries.
Originally developed for Norway, Eddy Bal, berry specialist at the auction says the packaging is receiving interest from the Belgian berry industry and others around the world. “The first results are very promising,” Bal says, “as customers see the advantage of this packaging which provides optimal protection to the berries.”
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