Successful storage for leeks: quality and price
Benoit Janny
A great comeback for leek conservation in 2023!
The season is ending on a high note, with record prices for all the growers who have used Janny MT modules this year.
The market has already been very buoyant in terms of prices since January 2023.
The reduction in the area under leek production in 2022 and fluid sales over the winter have kept prices buoyant.
Rapid sales this winter emptied end-of-season stocks. The market was short of leeks and prices soared for leeks from northern Europe.
Looking back over the last 5 years, we can see that we need to hold on to our stocks in order to sell at better prices between April and June. This is a real market opportunity for leek growers.
Volumes are lower but with high added value.
Whatever the leek prices, the observation is simple: leeks begin to flower around 1st April and prices rise in June (from 0.25€/Kg to 0.80€/Kg in 2022 and 0.75€/Kg to 2.20€/Kg in 2023).
The maximum cold storage period is 3-4 weeks. Sales lines must be maintained throughout May and June before the early leeks arrive.
It is more competitive to market a winter leek stored in a Janny MT module than an early leek. The difference is 0.60€/Kg on average depending on the year.
Strategic storage at the end of the season is a winning strategy.
This year we've talked about the equipment paying for itself in 1 year thanks to double use over the periods [October-February] and [March-June].