Stiff, that's the best way to describe the carrot market. The quality and yields of the carrots are good, but sales are not going well. The demand is certainly no more than average for this period, while the supply is considerably larger due to acreage expansion and good yields.
Carrot exports are moderate. The growing season has not only gone well in the Netherlands so far, but also in neighboring countries there is quite a lot of supply due to a good harvest, resulting in less demand for Dutch carrots.
Exports to Africa are going well, but it could be better. Senegal and Ivory Coast, for example, are doing something, but given the price level of the carrot in the Netherlands you would expect more demand. Relatively high transport costs and especially the limited availability of containers on demand play a role here, according to some traders.
What does the grower do?
Growers are faced with a choice: do I take the loss now and try to sell the carrot at or below cost price or do I have confidence in the (field) market and wait until the price rises again? Various growers appear to be increasingly opting for the first scenario, which puts pressure on prices. Several traders indicate that falling prices at the current level create little or no additional demand.
The DCA Listing B carrot this week is €1,50 lower than last week and amounts to an average of €9 per 100 kilos. The top of the market is €10 and the bottom of the price is €8 per 100 kilos. Buyers are very competitive on prices, especially for long-distance exports. For sales on the Dutch market, processors have largely covered themselves with contracts and only limited additional purchases are made. The DCA Quotation for C-Peen is €7,50 per 100 kilos. Prices range from approximately €6 to €9 per 100 kilos. There is only very little trade in C-peen.