"Homegrown sprouts in the middle of summer. Nothing new for Van Oers United, but we notice that customers are still pleasantly surprised that we start so early in the Netherlands. Every year it is a challenge to offer Dutch sprouts as early as possible. This year the harvest will start on Friday July 24," says Frederique Sonneveld.
"Our cultivation locations are spread across various regions in Europe and Africa. Together with our growers, we ensure that fresh produce is available every day. The early harvest in the Netherlands fits in seamlessly with our cultivation in Morocco and France and forms the basis for a year round supply of fresh sprouts. This makes Van Oers United unique in Europe. The sprouts are processed and packaged in the production location Dinteloord. "
"Growing under canvas is important for the early cultivation of sprouts. In addition, the trick is to top the crop at the right time and extract the growing point, so that the plant can give all its energy to the fruit (the sprouts). "The crops are still young and not fully grown, which means that the yields are limited. The quality looks good. In the coming period, more growers will start producing in the Netherlands every week."
"The area of Brussels sprouts will be slightly expanded for the coming season in the Netherlands, partly because of the dry spring, this won't affect the yields. Far more important than the number of hectares is the total production compared to the demand. The demand for sprouts looks good at the moment We have excellent sprout weather, especially with the current weather conditions. Since the Corona crisis, the consumption of fresh vegetables has increased, so in that respect we expect a growing consumption for next winter. We look forward to a good Dutch season," concludes Frederique.
