Harvest of storage carrots to date: wet, wetter, wettest

We are in November and hardly any carrots have been harvested for storage. It is not surprising that some growers are doing everything they can to do something. If, on a sparsely dry day, the worst of the water has subsided just a little, an attempt is made to dig up. Tractors are getting bigger and harvesting technology is not standing still, but in an autumn like this it appears that at a certain point there are limits to what is possible.

The videos and photos of tractors and wagons being dragged up to their bellies through the mud and of carrot harvesters who are stuck are eagerly shared via social media. It is mainly growers who are sensitive to these types of pictures and who assume that prices will rise. After all, who wants to dig under these conditions and how many carrots are lost due to the wetness?

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However, rinsers are careful to commit anything. For immediate delivery, immediate processing and the courage or necessity to get rid of rinsers, but due to limited demand from abroad, that pressure is not great. Buying carrots for long-term storage is hardly an option. On many plots the carrot stands or has stood with its feet in the water. This does not improve quality and shelf life. Some growers may, against their better judgement, dig up carrots for storage. Insiders doubt whether this will work out. Wet harvesting and often with rain on the hand can hardly go well. There is a real chance that such parties will be forced to leave in a month's time.

The carrot trade is difficult. The DCA Quotation for both b and c carrots remains unchanged compared to last week at €14 to €16 per 100 kilos. In practice, it is not easy for growers and flushers to find each other. Flushers see the difficulty in exporting and do not really need it and many growers think the current price of around €15 is too low to completely destroy a plot during harvest.