When the field lettuce market became tougher, grower Rik Vanackere opted to specialise in babyleaf and young spinach. "There is a good demand for both products. We see growing sales in young spinach in recent years. We supply is all year round. In the summer we produce it in open ground and in the winter in our greenhouse."

Various varieties
He indicates that they grow babyleaf with a foursome of growers in West Flanders. "Two of those, including myself, are connected to Tomabel and supply our products under this brand. We mainly grow to buyer demand and work with weekly prices." Various lettuce varieties fall under babyleaf. "For instance there is mustard lettuce and Rucola, which are cut separately, but also processed in the mesclun. Mesclun consists of Lollo Rosso, Lollo Bionda, green oak, red oak and Romaine. These are added to with specialities such as rucola, mizuna, tatsoi green and red, mustard varieties and red chard. The variation in the different cultivations is particularly interesting. The products are seeded separately and then mixed in the warehouse with the washing machine. They are weighed in the Multihead weigher and packaged according to the desire of the customer both in flowpack and freight."

Rik says it is a good market for these lettuce varieties, but that they do feel pressure from the Southern countries such as Italy and Spain. The producer has two hectares in greenhouses and one hectare outside. "The way it seems now, the market is reasonably stable, apart from in young spinach. Over the coming years the demand for this product will likely continue to grow."