There is certainly not a sense of euphoria in the top fruit sector at all. But, things are looking up a bit. This is according to Michel Schrijnemaekers, a director at Veiling Zuid-Limburg. Veiling Zuid-Limburg is an auction house in the Netherlands. "Stocks are running out here and there. This has resulted in somewhat higher demand," he says.

"However, it has, of course, been a tough season across the board. There were the expected quality issues with the early pear varieties and Elstar apples. The varieties that were harvested later were, however, of better quality. These varieties included applies like Junami, Jonagold, and Golden."

"I dare say the Junami is the best apple available at the moment. Our retail clients are now switching Elstars out for Junamis, and sales are going well. Consumers trust this apple. The Junami apples are hard, juicy, and sweet. They have not had any problems with quality either," says Michel.

Veiling Zuid-Limburg expects to make it through the season, until the new harvest arrives, with the Junamis. This should also be the case with the Jonagold and Golden Apples. "With the pears, we are, however, finishing up."

"We are looking forward to the new season. Last year's hot summer has played a massive part in this sector this year. We now want to quickly forget about the season and prepare for the new one. The new season looks promising for the time being. But it is not June yet, so it is still too early to say," concludes this auction house director.

For more information
Coöperatieve Fruitveiling Zuid-Limburg
33 Aan de Fremme
6269 BK Margraten, The Netherlands
Tel: +31 (0) 434 58 588
Fax: +31 (0) 434 588 599
info@veilingzl.nl  
www.veilingzl.nl