"Supply and demand in the carrot market are pretty well balanced at the moment, and in fact it's been that way all summer," says Caroline Louwerse of Louwerse Wortelen in Emmeloord. "Harvesting has gone smoothly throughout the summer. Prices are fine, though not particularly high. B-grade carrots are still around 15 cents, while the larger carrots fetch a little more."
Right now, harvesting is taking place in the polders as well as in Zeeuws-Vlaanderen, which means the company is still working with the early crop. Caroline runs the family business together with her sister Judith and father André. Louwerse Wortelen focuses on trading both early carrots and storage carrots, supplying customers in the Netherlands and abroad. With the current harvest, most of their deliveries go to the major Belgian carrot processors and to buyers in North Holland. "We do notice that long-distance overseas exports are still somewhat behind," Caroline adds.
© Fa. André Louwerse WortelenCaroline on the left on the carrot cart during the carrot harvest and on the right with André
"How the storage carrot market will develop is still a bit of a mystery," says Caroline Louwerse. "The last few days, you wouldn't think so, but it has actually been very dry, and that has taken its toll on some fields. Overall, we expect strong yields in our growing regions in Flevoland, Friesland, and Groningen. But on fields where irrigation was lacking, volumes could end up disappointing. The total acreage for storage carrots has shrunk slightly this year. Even so, with the expected good yields, we hope to start the season in a fairly stable market. Customers are still a little cautious about buying storage carrots for long-term cooling. From the growers' side, there is plenty of supply. Many contracts were signed in the spring, so now the question is how many extra customers will purchase, and of course, at what price. But I'm optimistic about the season ahead."
Caroline continues: "I hope we can harvest good volumes, and above all, that the quality is strong. In recent years, we've seen carrot quality deteriorate quickly during storage, which has really been the big challenge. That challenge has only grown with fewer crop protection options and increasingly unpredictable weather. At the moment, fields in Flevoland, Friesland, and Groningen are looking good, although we have seen some early mildew here and there. In Zeeland, virus pressure is a bigger problem, and growers in England and Scotland are facing difficulties too. That could actually have a positive effect on demand for Dutch storage carrots."
© Fa. André Louwerse WortelenPlot Nerac in Flevoland
"The organic carrot acreage is lower this year. From Germany, there was decent demand for Dutch organic carrots during the summer, but Germany also has plenty of acreage of its own again, so we'll have to wait and see how that market develops. The German market is aiming to be as self-sufficient as possible. As for coloured carrots, that market is still taking shape, but prices are already at a good level. Ready-to-use yellow carrots are currently available from 54 cents per kilo in big bags," explains Caroline Louwerse.
When asked how Louwerse sets itself apart in the carrot trade, Caroline replies: "The most important thing is building trust between us, the customer, and the grower. We believe in a personal approach and close connections. Our advantage is that we bring in arable farming experience from Louwerse Akkerbouw, which we can translate into practical crop advice for growers. From our position in the middle, we put our heart and soul into achieving the best outcome for both our growers and our customers. We really do have the best job in the world."
© Fa. André Louwerse WortelenFor more information:
Caroline Louwerse
Fa. André Louwerse Wortelen
Espelerweg 8 II
8303 HX Emmeloord
[email protected]