"Lower yields but better prices for early apples"

Last year at the 't Hoogveld fruit company the top fruit season was not very successful, so they hav…

Last year at the 't Hoogveld fruit company the top fruit season was not very successful, so they have every hope that business will be better this year. So far the mood has been more positive than last season even though the yields are lower. Some say that last year was not that bad, but for 't Hoogveld it was quite bad, "We have nothing to show for last year," says Kristien Van Essche, who runs the company together with her husband.

Lower yields
At 't Hoogveld fruit company in Bertem, Belgium growing apples is central. Various apple varieties are grown on 34 acres of land. The Zari, Gala and Decosta varieties are the most popular varieties grown at 't Hoogveld. Kristien follows: "The early varieties like Zari have already been harvested and sold. The volumes are currently less than half of what they were last year. This is partly due to damage from birds and the sun. Fortunately, the prices are better than last season, and luckily we did not have any hail. We can conclude that the early varieties have done alright."
 
't Hoogveld is now busy harvesting the Gala apple, "Then we will harvest Jonagored. It may still be early, but I think there is interest this year. Crop yields are smaller this year, but people will always pay for quality products. We are getting a nice price for the Gala apple as well." They are hoping for a more stable year, "The market seems more friendly, so hopefully business will be better. We cannot make up for the bad year in one year, but we will be happy if we can at least an break-even." 't Hoogveld mainly supplies its products to the New Green growers association, while a small portion is sold to individuals.