Need leaf spinach for a recipe? Then you sometimes have to go to a few shops. The heat earlier this month and downpours afterwards hindered the harvest, says branch organization GroentenFruit Huis.
“The weather led to too fast or no growth”, says director Richard Schouten. “It just goes to show that we are dealing with a natural product.”
Supermarket chains recognize the situation. “It is there, but less than usual,” says a spokesperson for trade association CBL. Besides spinach, there are also fewer other leafy vegetables on the shelves.
Temporary problem
The problem is temporary, the trade associations emphasize. Spinach grows relatively quickly. “I think that new spinach can already be harvested that has not been bothered by the heat,” says Schouten.
Most of the leaf spinach is grown in the Netherlands. The failed harvests have no effect on the frozen spinach stock, says GroentenFruit Huis. It has already been grown before and can be stored longer, so that it can be sold throughout the year.
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