The week before Christmas has sometimes been busier for flushers. This is largely because buyers from Eastern Europe are keeping a more low profile. In any case, growers don't care much about that.
The peak in demand for carrots from Eastern Europe was not as usual in the week before Christmas, but in the week before. According to some flushers, the fact that Christmas Day falls on a Monday also has something to do with this. You have more or less lost Thursday and Friday if you want to be on the Eastern European shelves before Christmas.
Growers have little interest in the fact that things are quiet on the demand side. Harvesting has taken place in recent weeks under less than ideal conditions, to say the least, or, as some insiders say, 'was tampered with'. This does not improve shelf life and quality. There is still only a limited supply of carrots that has to go. If it is carrot that has to go, then in most cases it is still peeling carrot and some growers dare to leave it for an extra week, or so it seems.
Shelf life
Most players on the market agree that not all carrots can be stored well until spring. Opinions differ on what this means for pricing. Rinsers fear that if the quality is not there, demand will not arise. Growers see the small stock of good carrots in the cold stores and expect that sooner or later the market will have to take a step up.
The DCA quotation for both b- and c-peen remains stable this week. B-carrot is priced at €22 to €26 per 100 kilos. C-carrot works out at €21 to €26 per 100 kilos. It should be noted that there has not been much trading this week.