Free-range organic carrots are almost sold out. They're scrambling to find the last remaining stock. And that's reflected in the pricing. Sales of conventional carrots are somewhat quieter than in recent weeks.
The regional trade fair in Middenmeer surprised the market with a negative result for conventional carrots this week. Emmeloord followed suit on Thursday with stable prices for conventional carrots, which is more in line with market expectations.
The price in Middenmeer fell by €1 at the top, bringing prices for this week down to €16 to €20 per 100 kilos. Emmeloord, on the other hand, is holding steady at €17 to €22 per 100 kilos. The mood in Middenmeer is calm, while prices in Emmeloord are holding steady.
For higher-quality carrots, prices range from €110 to €150 per crate, depending on the net quantity. This is based on quantities of 500 to 700 kilos net of carrots per crate. This equates to €22 per 100 kilos.
Last week, €23 per 100 kilos was paid on one occasion, but that's not considered the current market. According to those involved, the second half of this week is somewhat quieter than in the past period.
Flooding in Southern Europe
The latter has everything to do with Spain. Spain briefly enjoyed a surge in the market because its own harvest was halted due to flooding. In southern France, too, harvesting was halted due to persistent rain. This created a lively demand from Spain for Dutch carrots.
Harvesting resumed in some areas in Spain earlier this week. As a result, demand in the Netherlands plummeted again. This is also why prices are stabilizing here. The extent of the flood damage in Southern European regions remains unclear. This will partly determine how demand develops later this season.
Significant damage is expected in Spain, but also in Morocco, Portugal, and southern France. This applies to both the current harvest and the sowing of the next crop. This offers additional opportunities for Dutch carrots later this season. In Eastern Europe, prices similar to those achieved in Southern Europe in recent weeks cannot yet be achieved.
Significant price increase for organic carrots
Organic carrots have benefited particularly strongly from the flooding in Southern Europe. Because competition from those regions disappeared, there was a fight here for the last remaining stock of organic carrots. Some stock is still available, but not many.
Meanwhile, this has driven up prices considerably. After the substantial price increases of recent weeks, the price rose by another €10 this week. Emmeloord increased its price by €9,50 this week to between €70 and €72 per 100 kilos.
The organic carrot season started very differently than last year. Demand from Germany was high early on, as there was a significantly smaller harvest there. This ensured a smooth start to sales. This is in stark contrast to last year, when demand for these carrots was virtually nonexistent even late in the season.
Because of the latter, growers have dropped out, causing production to decline. Demand for organic carrots has since increased again. On top of that, problems have arisen in Southern Europe in recent weeks. This raises the question of how the transition to the new season will proceed. Free-range carrots are hardly available anymore, so the bridging supply must be made with carrots already under contract.