Even at the beginning of the second half of the season, the Dithmarschen cabbage industry is quite positive. "At the beginning of January, there were already increased export inquiries, which is rather unusual. As a result, prices rose relatively quickly. Following the Fruit Logistica, the export market has returned to normal. In line with the season, we are currently seeing relatively subdued demand on the domestic market, with no major advertising campaigns, although demand for white cabbage is currently picking up slightly again," sums up Katherina Jensen from Gemüsehandel Hagge GmbH in Dithmarschen.
© Hugo Huijbers | FreshPlaza.comKatherina Jensen and Peter Hagge at Fruit Logistica 2025. The company's customer structure is divided between food retail, industry, and export customers.
German consumers appear to be less focused on red cabbage currently, continues the vegetable merchant. "In other years, red cabbage has sometimes been more in demand around Easter. However, this increase in demand has not materialized so far, which is probably also due to the rather high market prices. However, this could change in the remaining weeks until Easter. In principle, however, we are satisfied with the sales so far." Currently, producer prices for white cabbage are between 0.45-0.50 EUR/kg, about 0.15-0.20 EUR higher than in the same period last year. Red cabbage has recently seen a renewed increase, with producer prices currently around 0.65-0.70 EUR/kg.
Considering the limited stocks, there could be a shortage of the latter product towards the end of the season. In the white cabbage sector, on the other hand, a smooth seasonal transition is expected for now. Jensen: "We started planting out the first early cabbage in calendar week 10. We are currently enjoying optimal, dry planting conditions. In this respect, the plantings have gone according to plan so far."
Early end of season for turnips and Savoy cabbage
In addition to white and red cabbage, Gemüsehandel Hagge GmbH is also involved in the cultivation and distribution of other field crops produced in Dithmarschen, including Savoy cabbage, pointed cabbage, cauliflower, and broccoli. "We only act as a distributor for potatoes, carrots, onions, celery, and turnips. We are in the final stages of importing Scottish turnips. We also stopped selling savoy cabbage at the end of February, a few weeks earlier than usual, which was mainly due to the high price discrepancy compared to Italian and Portuguese imports." For several years, the company has also offered broccoli from regional cultivation. "Cauliflower and broccoli are usually harvested and marketed from calendar week 25 and, depending on the weather, harvested well into the fall. Last year, we were able to supply until early to mid-October."
Positive development in cabbage cultivation
All in all, the management is confident about the future. "The cabbage price has reached a more acceptable level in recent years. Nevertheless, we are often not yet where we need to be in terms of price. If I look back honestly at 2017, when I bought cabbage for less than EUR 0.10/kg, I can now speak of a much more positive price development. Today's price structure has also become indispensable, considering all the constantly rising ancillary costs. Our goal is to find a good, fair, and stable basis for both producers and consumers. We continue to see structural change in regional cultivation, with the number of producers tending to decline while the remaining businesses are getting larger. With a healthy balance of availability and pricing, I hope that more appreciation will be shown for this hard manual work and that more producers will be willing to grow cabbage. Overall, we believe that cabbage growing is developing in a positive direction," she concludes.
For more information:
Katherina Jensen
Gemüsehandel Hagge GmbH
Blankenmoorer Straße 23
D-25792 Neuenkirchen
Tel: +49 4837 - 91 60
kj@gemuesehandel-hagge.de
www.gemuesehandel-hagge.de