Where does the price of storage carrots go?

Most of the storage carrots still have to be harvested. Normally most of it has been cleared by the end of October, but now it is estimated that only about 10% has been harvested. The only risk of a late harvest is that frost can cause problems. In general, the harvesting conditions are good, because there is sufficient foliage on the carrot.

carrot price
The carrot price is moving at a high level, with prices still ranging from €22 to €25 per 100 kilos (field grown) at the fair in Emmeloord. That high level started with the high price at the end of last season and continued, meaning that the early carrots were sometimes harvested without fully reaching weight. That situation is now over, but the carrot price is still high. The question is whether the price can remain at this high level.

Pricing
No one can predict the price in advance, yet there are possible reasons that could cause a price drop. One of these is that, now that the harvest is starting, it appears that the carrot yield in the Netherlands is reasonable, especially in Flevoland.

The quality of the carrot is also good and a large loss of problem lots like last year is not expected. However, there are also sufficient arguments why the carrot price remains high.

1. Yields are not good everywhere in the Netherlands
   Yields can be good in Flevoland and where irrigation took place. There are certainly areas where yields are lower, says Robert Schilder, sales manager Benelux and Scandinavia at Bejo Zaden. “In North Groningen and Zeeland, for example, where there is now also a large area of ​​carrots, the yields are clearly lower.
2. Lower yields in Europe
   Revenues outside the Netherlands are also disappointing. This applies to Germany, Belgium and the northern part of Poland. According to the Polish Statistical Office, carrot yields are about 10% lower.
3. Uniformity is less due to drought
   The uniformity of the product is also disappointing. “Where irrigation has not been possible, the uniformity of the crop is clearly less. There is a lot of undersize and deformation, which ultimately means lower net returns,” says Schilder.
4. Carrot price in Spain poor
   Although Spain anticipates less carrots from the rest of Europe, a significantly larger area is not being sown. "This is because Spanish growers have had to sell their carrots below cost price in recent years and carrots are therefore not very attractive," says Schilder. They will expand somewhat in this cultivation, but not more than about 10%. The carrot from Spain will only be available in At the earliest in March/April.
5. Quality problems due to less soil in boxes
   Due to the dry soil, little soil enters the boxes, which can increase the risk of dehydration. In addition, this means less protection for the carrot during harvesting, which can cause skin damage and a higher risk of dehydration. This can therefore cause quality problems during long storage. However, irrigation is used to get more soil into the box.
6. Effect of irrigation unknown
   However, irrigation can also have an effect on the quality of the carrot, although this is unknown, says Frans van der Ploeg, crop specialist at Hazera. “No one knows whether this irrigation will have an effect on the carrot in storage, because it has never been done before.”

In short, while the harvest will start in full swing next week with cooler weather, the grower has no reason to fear significant price drops for the time being. However, the 2018 harvest is special due to the late time and additional costs must be incurred for irrigation.