On the field side, April 2022

Southern vegetables

In Spain, the situation for red peppers to date is not improving. We will have to wait until June to know more.

The same applies to broccoli whose harvest is not up to our expectations.

Pre-fried egglants, on the other hand, are difficult to obtain due to the increase in the price of the oils needed for their production.

After an overstock in 2020, a limited and quickly sold volume in 2021, the Chinese asparagus market in 2022 is tight. In addition, unfavourable weather conditions (floods, low harvests) have resulted in a volume below forecasts.

Mushroom

Morel cultivation in China is good both in quality and quantity. However, the €/$ exchange rate is not currently in our favour.

For Turkish Morels, rising temperatures and lack of rain have already caused a 3 week delay in the shoots.
The quantities available will therefore be limited, causing tension on the market.

Lemon

The lemon variety Verna from Spain has a lower yield than in previous years due to a lack of rain during the year.

In addition, the strike by transporters (trucks) caused a delay in production, making it more difficult to transport fresh produce for processing.

Onion & Chives

After a very dry month in March, Poland is experiencing record cold for an April with snow. The first onion seedlings should be protected by the snow, if the cold wave stops when it melts.

The chives crop (Belgium), which will be sown in 2 weeks, looks good in view of the weather. There should be no worries unless the weather conditions suddenly deteriorate.

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Challenges for the Northern vegetable sector

As in many parts of Europe, many farmers are turning to oilseeds and cereals. This means that grass cultivation will be more difficult, as cereals are more profitable. This also means that vegetable cultivation, especially courgette cultivation, is a point of concern, as it is difficult to find motivated farmers for these crops.