After a challenging period in terms of pricing, the pepper market is beginning to recover. "We're heading in the right direction again, but we're coming out of a tough sales stretch where prices dropped as low as 50 cents per kilo," says ZON sales manager Wouter Willems. In the meantime, prices for red and yellow peppers have returned to a level of €1.80–2.00, orange peppers are being sold at €1.50, while green peppers have dipped slightly to around €1.20–1.30.
"The upward trend in the market is mainly due to production volumes. Earlier in the season, we saw peak production levels. There were hardly any issues in cultivation, which led to an oversupply. We sometimes say 'no disaster is also a disaster,' and we saw that play out in the pepper market. All in all, it's a very different year compared to last year. Now there's a temporary dip in supply, and that immediately leads to higher prices," Wouter notes.
"Hopefully, the market will stabilise as we approach the summer holidays, but it's hard to predict. Everyone is buying what they need, but there's no sign of a major rush. What's more, especially in Germany, we're seeing a lot of competition in the retail sector with surprisingly aggressive promotions. Overall, there's simply a lot of produce on the market—including field vegetables—with hardly any supply issues."
For more information:
Wouter Willems
ZON
Venrayseweg 102
5928 RH Venlo
Tel: +31 (0)77 3239999
[email protected]
www.royalzon.com