“The first Spanish early cherries are therefore traditionally a real ‘must-have’ for buyers who sell large volumes of cherries throughout the season,” he says. “For them, it is a good way to start the season early, but usually only one or a few boxes at a time. We sell them to Dutch wholesalers, but customers from Scandinavia and the UK are also lining up for these first arrivals,” Lucien says.

“We stopped importing overseas cherries back in February because we felt the last arrivals were not of sufficient quality. The European season is therefore arriving at a good time. However, the regular outdoor season is expected to start later due to the lack of cold nights.”

Although the name suggests otherwise, Van Ooijen Citrus has developed into a true cherry specialist over the years. “Our volume is increasing every year. From Spain, we move on to cherries from Turkey, Moldova, Belgium, and the Netherlands, so for the next five months, we will have a steady supply of European cherries.”

Source: Fresh Plaza