How did the corona crisis impact on your diet?
Fresh figures from the Flemish farm sector show that more people have been eating strawberries this year. It’s partly because people spent more time at home during the lockdown, but also because of the fine weather. It comes despite the fact that strawberry prices were 40% higher this year.
In general the corona emergency meant good news for products you can consume in the home: eggs, beef and chicory or Belgian endives.
Vanessa Saenen of the Farmers’ Union: “Lockdown forced people to consume more at home, but even after restrictions were lifted there was high demand for strawberries, eggs, beef and chicory and that also resulted in higher prices. Turnover of eggs rose 16.8%”.
The crisis was bad news potato growers: consumption of chips was sharply down, while flowers too didn’t sell well.
The Flemish farm and horticulture sector is expected to book a turnover of 5.8 billion euros this year. That’s partly due to the higher prices charged for potatoes and pears.
Turnover in the chip potato sector is expected to have slumped 30% this year. To blame: the closure of restaurants and other establishments as well as the cancellation of many events. A recovery is not in the offing as few events are being organised.
Turnover in the ornamental horticulture sector slumped 7.3%, when garden centres and florists were closed at the height of the spring season that usually results in buoyant sales and is responsible for half the year’s takings. Many flowers needed to be destroyed piling up losses. Here though there are now signs of recovery.