New squash varieties for Danish market

Our ever shrinking world, bursting full of information, is full of great opportunities for those willing to take the time to do their research into new types of fruits and vegetables that are seeing great success in other countries. Brian Knudsen from Frigaard in Denmark has done just that, after seeing the great popularity that Kabocha and Spaghetti squash has enjoyed in North America, he saw it as a great opportunity to bring it into the untapped market of Scandinavia and, if all goes well, further into mainland Europe in the future.

"Butternut squash and Hokkaido squash were already in the Danish market, however, butternut squash doesn't fare well in Denmark because it is too cold due to us being so far north. I found the kabocha and spaghetti squash on YouTube while I was doing research and saw how popular they were, so we decided to run some tests last season to see how they would grow here in Denmark. Once we saw that these trials were proving successful, we started branding them and selling them to a few supermarkets last season. We have generated even more interest this season so they will be available in even more Danish supermarkets this August."

Being new to Danish consumers, the company has developed a new label which teaches consumers how to prepare each type of squash, including a small recipe.

The Spaghetti squash, in particular, fits into the recent trend where an ever increasing health conscious public are searching for carb alternatives and eating such things as courgette pasta or cauliflower 'rice'. There is even less hassle for creating these types of dishes with the spaghetti squash because nature has pretty much pre-prepared the pasta for you.

"Potato sales are dropping dramatically in Denmark, along with many other countries around the world, so people have been replacing potatoes with many different alternatives such as cabbage and squash. There is a big health push and consumers are actively trying to eat more healthy, and eating more vegetables is a big part of that." said Brian.

The squash is currently grown on 12 hectares this season, but Brian is hopeful that the market will continue to grow and they are in a position to expand their acreage to fit demand. Brian believes that the set up and branding will be key to building the business.

"We have also planted some small test fields on our growing area in Portugal to see how they will grow in that climate. We are using the techniques and knowledge we have learned in Denmark in Portugal to reduce the amount of chemicals we use to grow our vegetables. If we are lucky, we would also like to start growing organics in Portugal, but only time will tell if it is possible. There are a lot of other factors outside of our control there." shared Brian.

The squash grown in Denmark is not officially organic, but due to the strict regulations enforced by the government, they are very close. The crops are grown in open fields and no chemicals are used during the growing process. The only thing that makes them not organic is that fertilisers are used.

The dry weather that Denmark has been experiencing so far this year has been great for the squash production. Harvest is expected to start at the end of August and will run through to the end of December.

For more information:
Brian Knudsen
Frigaard
Tel: +45 65 37 27 57
Email: brian@frigaardgroent.dk
frigaardgroent.dk