Homegrown apples
Local farms are increasingly facing the challenges of an unpredictable climate. By choosing to sell locally year-round, Steve Neven builds in a sense of security. Neven is the second generation leading his family’s fruit-growing business. For Colruyt Group, he harvests two Belgian apple varieties year-round, and they’re a hit.
Steve Neven, Waremme
Although trained as an economist, he deliberately chose a job that follows the rhythm of the seasons. In winter, the apple trees on the Neven family estate are pruned; in spring, small fruits begin to bloom. Then comes the apple harvest. “And yet, my background in economics comes in handy,” says apple grower Steve Neven. “When we uproot old trees, we can plant a new variety. A loss-making plot must be compensated by a profitable one.”
At one point, you started delivering apples directly to Colruyt Group. Was that a strategic decision?
“Absolutely. We’ve been supplying them for about 25 years, but when the Haspengouw auction in Sint-Truiden ran into trouble, the question arose whether we wanted to deliver directly. We jumped at the opportunity. The shorter the supply chain, the better: the fruit goes almost straight from picking to cooling.”
Like every farm, you face challenges. What are they in apple cultivation?
“The weather is becoming more extreme, and we feel it too. Long periods of drought, long periods of rain... The trees bloom earlier and earlier because it’s getting warmer. And the earlier they bloom, the greater the risk of spring frost. It can still freeze in spring, sometimes even until mid-May. A blossom or small fruit is very sensitive to that. Losing a harvest is painful.”
You grow two apple varieties exclusively for Colruyt Group: Magic Star and Coryphée. Are they resilient?
“Yes, definitely. Even in cold conditions, the Magic Star and Coryphée hold up well.”
“Colruyt Group wanted its own Belgian apple. The Pink Lady, popular among their customers, can only be grown in the southern hemisphere or in southern France or Italy. So they were looking for a 100% Belgian alternative. Just as we had planted a few hectares of Magic Star, a buyer came by. We gave them a crate of apples to let the staff at Colruyt Group’s headquarters taste them. They immediately loved the Magic Star.”
“It has a long shelf life, doesn’t get greasy or mealy, and is highly resistant. So we hardly need to treat it. That’s another environmental benefit.”
“Since we can only harvest the Magic Star from mid-October and the hard fruit season starts in early September, we use the Coryphée to ensure Belgian apples are available year-round in Colruyt Group stores.”
A great harvest. What happens to apples that aren’t picture-perfect?
“Colruyt Group tries to take our entire supply of Magic Star and Coryphée. They also work with residual flows: bruised apples are turned into juice, cake, and apple chips. That commitment feels good—it’s more of a partnership than a typical client-supplier relationship. I have a great back-and-forth with them: depending on whether the harvest is 100%, or 60 or 80%, Colruyt Group adjusts. Thanks to the Magic Star and Coryphée, which we grow exclusively for them, we can offer a valuable product and make a living from it. Because the customer pays a fair price for a top-quality product.”
Locally grown, locally loved
This quality label guarantees that the potatoes, fruit, vegetables, meat, and dairy you buy are of Belgian origin. Steve’s apples are available in Colruyt Lowest Prices supermarkets, Okay, Spar Colruyt Group, and on Collect&Go.
