Exports of Belgian vegetables to Germany struggled in 2008, according to VLAM, the Flanders Agricultural Marketing Board.
The volume of Belgian vegetables exported to Germany fell by 17 per cent, with turnover dropping by 10 per cent.
“Belgian exports of fresh vegetables to Germany were really dealt a telling blow last year,” said Paul Coenen, manager of VLAM’s Cologne office. “The drop in the volume of field vegetables such as leeks `down by 18 per cent` particularly stands out, but the supply of tomatoes also fell by 13 per cent.
Mr Coenen stated that the price sensitivity of German consumers was an important factor in this decline, in addition to fierce competition from cheaper produce from the Netherlands, Spain and Italy.
However, cauliflower exports reportedly rose by 66 per cent, and other brassicas by 126 per cent. Increases were also recorded for sweet peppers (up 16 per cent), witloof chicory (up 9 per cent) and lettuce (up 7 per cent).
Paul Coenen commented: “These are very good figures for brassicas, yet we’re still a long way from achieving the market position in Germany that we deserve given the range and quality of produce we offer.”
As such, Belgian exporters are increasingly looking further east for growth, particularly for apples and pears to Russia. Large Jonagold apples and Conference pears are becoming extremely popular with Russian consumers, according to VLAM.
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