In the days between Christmas and New Year, not much happens at the agricultural markets. Carrot is no exception this year. Various flushers either run at minimum occupancy or are completely closed. Growers still have fresh memories of the difficult harvest and are not yet very inclined to sell.
It is not unusual that growers and rinsers are not on the same page when it comes to expectations for the market. However, the views now differ greatly. Rinsers complain that demand from Eastern Europe has collapsed. About four weeks ago it was freezing in the Eastern Bloc and Dutch carrots were requested. With the increasing demand, the price also increased. But with the milder weather, the demand for carrots also dropped. Growers are still starting to sweat, so to speak, when they think back to the antics that were performed to get the carrots harvested last autumn. With that worry still fresh in their minds, they are reluctant to drop the price.
Be careful
The muddy weather last autumn has not done any good to the quality of the carrots that are now in storage. Some growers have tested a few boxes, which were generally not too bad. Insiders warn not to blindly rely on the test boxes and to continue to monitor the quality very closely, especially if harvesting has been done in the rain. Compulsory supply of carrots that have to go because something goes wrong in storage remains limited for the time being.
There was little trade in carrots this week. The DCA quotation for both b- and c-peen has remained the same as last week. B-carrot stands at €22 to €26 per 100 kilos and c-carrot at €21 to €26 per tonne. Some growers ask €30, but buyers are not willing to agree to that yet.