There is quite a gap between the carrot that is offered and the carrot that buyers are looking for. Carrots that become available are mainly those that can no longer be kept in storage. Processors actually look for the better parties.
During the past harvest, many people said: 'If this works out, we will never have to worry about anything again.' So it is not really a surprise that parties are now emerging with which things are not going well. If the grower is there in time and does not close his eyes to it, buyers can be found for these lots. Because there is generally a lot of soil in the boxes and quite a bit has to be cleared out, flushers certainly do not pay the top price for this. It is a more supply-driven market. With good carrots that have been in the refrigerator long enough to be able to say something about their storage life, it is exactly the opposite. Rinsers want to buy, but growers keep the door closed or ask prices at which you might as well say: 'I'd rather not sell them yet'.
Risk
In terms of sales of rinsed carrots, it is not overly busy. It never actually is around this time of year. The quality of the carrot is difficult for export to Africa. Transport costs are high and the carrot takes a relatively long time to travel. Spoolers and exporters are afraid of claims and charge a premium for them. Export within Europe is a lot easier in that respect. The downside is that prices are also at a lower level.
The DCA quotation for carrots has taken a big step up this week. Both b- and c-carrots come in at €25 to €32 per 100 kilos. This concerns batches that are intended for processing in the coming weeks. For good carrots that can be stored, rinsers will pay considerably more, up to €35 and more. These parties are hardly offered.