It is very quiet in the carrot trade. It was not a storm, but this week seems extra tame. The mood is just not there, but there is still some movement in the prices this week.
The expectation (or hope) is that there will be a turning point in mid to late February, after the Fruit Logistica trade fair that will be held in Berlin next week. That usually causes a turnaround more often. However, an insider indicates that it may be more wishful thinking than a certainty. It is also assumed that trade will pick up in mid-March.
There is still supply from the field and that is cheaper than from storage. The quality of the last carrots from the field is not bad. Carrots in storage are generally good, but there are reports that batches are offered that have something wrong with them, such as a speck here and there. But they are certainly not bad. It did freeze, but lightly and not so much that the frost really penetrated the ground. The weather forecasts for the coming week are also accordingly with light night frost and day temperatures well above zero.
Babbling market
It is not extremely busy, but the export to Eastern Europe is still going strong. There is still no demand from Belgium and Germany. In Germany they are expected to be harvesting for another month and a half and then there will be enough from storage to be self-sufficient.
The low demand from abroad in combination with the good carrot harvest this season is putting pressure on prices. There are hardly any coarser carrots and they are therefore more expensive. Last week, €17 to €19 was quoted for B carrots and this week the DCA carrot quotation is slightly lower with €16,50 to €18,50 per 100 kilos. The supply of C carrots remains tight and is actually increasing to €19,50 to €21,50 per 100 kilos. With the comment that there is little trade in coarse and outliers can also occur.
Read here is the explanation from DCA Market Intelligence on the new quotations.