Thanks to good weather conditions in April and May, the strawberry season has been outstanding so far. From the second half of June onwards, the quality of domestic outdoor produce was somewhat weaker, mainly due to the high temperatures. "The outdoor season continues until mid-July, after which we will almost exclusively market produce from protected cultivation, which allows us to better control quality. Given that we planted more this year, we are well ahead of last year's weaker harvest. However, compared to the multi-year average, I would classify this year's strawberry harvest as normal. We are also very satisfied with marketing so far," says Markus Schneider, CEO of Frutania GmbH.
© Frutania GmbHThe first local strawberries were picked in the Oberkirch area in mid-April, ensuring a seamless transition from imports from Spain to the domestic harvest. Right: Markus and Béatrice Schneider at this year's Fruit Logistica.
The first programs with German raspberries were delivered as planned in week 24. Schneider: "The wide range of products from Germany, Poland, and, to some extent, Spain is meeting with a receptive market. However, marketing has only really gotten off the ground recently, as supply was previously insufficient." At the same time, the German blackberry season also picked up speed, while imported produce from the same countries of origin continues to be offered here as well.
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Raspberries and plums
The blueberry harvest is also on track at the moment, Schneider continues. "The tunnel harvest is now coming to an end, and we are gradually starting the open field harvest. We see a receptive market for hand-picked rather than machine-harvested produce and expect the first complementary deliveries from Serbia and Romania shortly, followed in a few weeks by produce from Turkey and Georgia. Although the latter two sources are relatively new and have potential for expansion, we are already working with a number of reliable local producers. We are keen to gradually expand our network in these new sourcing countries, but this will be a long process."
Currants and gooseberries complete the Frutania Group's range of berries. Schneider: "The gooseberry harvest is coming to an end, while the currants are expected to be harvested until week 32. Thanks to modern CA storage, we will be able to offer domestic produce here until January, and we are currently delighted with the good quality and encouraging marketing situation."
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Freshly harvested sweet cherries
Lush sweet cherry harvest, bumpy start to the plum season
The domestic harvest is now in full swing in the stone fruit category as well. "This year's harvest is exceptionally good in terms of yield, quality, and fruit size. Sales have been very satisfactory so far. However, a slight decline in sales is currently being observed, which is understandable given the ongoing heat wave across all product ranges. The start of the plum season, on the other hand, is somewhat sluggish, as the fruit is ripening more slowly than expected due to the weather. Nevertheless, we expect a very productive year for the main varieties such as Katinka, Hanka, and Cacaks Schöne. Imported goods will not be necessary to fully serve our customers' programs," predicts Schneider. The plum harvest usually lasts well into August.
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Insight into the cherry harvest
Innovative concepts, strategic alliances
For the second year in a row, Frutania GmbH is exclusively supplying the food retail trade with domestic strawberries, including special varieties from protected cultivation. According to Schneider, the unique product concept is already showing measurable success. "Thanks to our carefully selected varieties and cultivation methods using different plant types, we can offer retailers consistent quantities and quality from May to October. We intend to continue on this path toward exclusive varieties and concepts in the coming years."
Forward-looking investments are also being made in the top fruit sector. "Based on the current fruit load in the various growing regions – from Baden to the Rhineland and Northern Germany – we are expecting a very promising apple harvest. At the same time, we are continuing to expand our cultivation capacities for Novembra pears in a targeted manner." The company is also striving to further promote the cultivation of top fruit, primarily apples, in all catchment areas.
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Sweet cherries and blackberries
The Frutania Group is one of Germany's largest producers and marketing organizations. Thanks to Fruitfels and strategic partnerships with OGM Obstgroßmarkt Mittelbaden, the company has seen strong growth, particularly in the Baden region. "Close support for producers is and will remain the foundation of our work. We are in the fortunate position of having many young and innovative producers within our group. The only thing that concerns us currently is the debate on raising the minimum wage. I believe that we must take particular care in our consumer communications not to allow our products to slip into the luxury segment. Instead, it should be clearly communicated at the point of sale that these high-quality products from local cultivation have a fair and transparent price."
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Insights into the protected blueberry cultivation
For more information:
Markus Schneider
© Frutania GmbH
Frutania GmbH
Heinrich-Lanz-Str. 3
D-53501 Grafschaft-Ringen
Tel: +49(0)2641-9111-0
[email protected]
http://www.frutania.de
https://fruitfels.de/
