More supply of fruit and vegetables than the year before and yet 10% less turnover. This is the result of the REO Auction in 2025. Tomatoes recorded a 7% increase in turnover with 57 million euros and strawberries did even better with an increase of almost 20%. “Tomatoes and strawberries were two products that did well this year and have kept their prices. We see that consumption is increasing year after year. We have top quality within the Belgian and European market,” says Dirk Declercq, chairman of the REO Veiling.
Where things are going badly is with leeks and chicory. West Flanders is the leek region, but leeks fell by 18%. And chicory also took a hit, where turnover dropped by as much as 48%. “Leek has had a hard time for a long time due to the weather conditions. In fact, we have had a warm autumn for far too long, and young people eat too little chicory.” The short winter surge is now creating more demand for leeks.
Reo wants to strengthen ties with growers even closer in 2026. A young REO has also been set up for this purpose with young growers. REO expects slightly better prices for 2026, especially due to the high quality and hopefully more purchasing power among consumers.