There is currently no Easter rush in the carrot trade. It just keeps bumping along a bit. This is partly due to disappointing demand from Eastern Europe and partly due to a compelling supply of carrots that have to go for quality reasons.
In the weeks before Easter there is often an extra demand for carrots. There is limited additional interest at the moment. That may change next week, but most flushers are not expecting big crowds. Mediocre carrots that remain hanging above the market do not help to set the mood. The real export washers have a sufficient supply of carrots and certainly do not offer the top price. Washers are prepared to pay a premium for top quality and retail-suitable carrots. Only small quantities qualify for this.
Big differences
The range in carrot prices remains wide. Belgian rinsers are willing to pay around €300 per box for top quality. Dutch flushers generally find the €200 exciting enough. There are also those who say to the grower that we can do business for €150 and otherwise not. These large differences in prices cannot be completely separated from the stock positions of the various players on the market. Some buyers who joined in the sentiment at the end of January and February that we might run out of money very quickly this season, are keen to at least keep the price in check, or preferably raise it a bit. to avoid ending up with much too expensive stock. Buying a load of carrots that are actually too expensive and ensuring that everyone has seen the receipt is cheaper than writing off the stock. This is of course very simplistic.
At the other end of the spectrum are the flushers who keep little stock and can now buy more relatively cheaply. They try to stimulate demand by sagging. That tension in the carrot market is somewhat reminiscent of what has happened in onions recently. With the onions, we now know who came out on top. Of course, that does not mean that the same thing happens with the carrot.
The DCA quotation for both b- and c-peen remains stable at €35 to €38 and €35 to €40 per 100 kilos, respectively. For really good carrots suitable for the supermarket, the price is around €40. On the other hand, €1 for class 30 is now also included.
Read here is the explanation from DCA Market Intelligence on the new quotations.