Cauliflower and broccoli are currently in the transition phase from Dutch products to those from Spain. "This keeps us on our toes," says Gert-Jan Langeveld of AGF Siere, which is situated in the Dutch town of Leiden. "Spanish broccoli has been on the market for about a week, and it's a relief. The rain has caused the Dutch broccoli to have a lot of quality issues over the last two months. The weather in Spain is more stable, which means the quality is as well."
Transition
Spanish cauliflower is already on the market, but AGF Siere has not changed over to this product. The price/quality ratio of Dutch cauliflowers is still more attractive, despite the fact that these too have had quality problems. "The Dutch season is, however, coming to its end. We will, therefore, transition to the Spanish cauliflower soon. Then we will get a new young harvest, when Dutch cauliflowers are fully grown."
Cauliflower is popular
While broccoli has become much more popular over the last ten years, cauliflower remains the most-eaten product. "Cauliflower is used mostly for advertising. It is a real customer magnet for traders. We sell twice as much cauliflower as compared to broccoli. The prices are, however, a very different matter. "For cauliflower, auction prices are, depending on quality, between EUR 0,20 and EUR 0,080. You can add EUR 0,50 to that for broccoli."
