The Dutch Chinese cabbage season has recently kicked off for the company Vogel AGF. For this product, the open ground vegetable specialist collaborates with a grower in the south of the country. "Twenty years ago there were also Chinese cabbage growers in the north of the Netherlands, but those crops are now completely gone. It's not an easy product to grow, but in the south of the country there are a few specialists," explains Robert Vogel.
The start of the season was not too favourable. "Due to the cold spring, the Spanish produce has been available for longer. Then the Dutch production arrived all of a sudden, which resulted in the imported and domestic products overlapping in the market. This applied also to iceberg lettuce and cauliflower, for example. In the meantime, the all-in price of a wooden crate of Chinese cabbage stands at around 3.50 Euro, and I expect it will continue increasing in the short term," says Robert.
Demand for Chinese cabbage, according to the trader, is quite stable. "Considerable sales are being made to processors, exporters and retailers. Basically all supermarkets are demanding it. Chinese cabbage is currently considered a healthy products and it is perfect for stir frying, for example. Furthermore, in terms of quality, the product we currently have on offer is ideal."
