At the Oldenburg wholesale market, domestic goods are currently being actively traded, according to a small on-site survey. In addition to seasonal fruits such as soft fruits, damsons and the first early apples, salads and outdoor vegetables are dominating the market. In the latter product area in particular, there were increased shortages of goods and correspondingly high prices as a result of the weather fluctuations this year.
Due to persistent precipitation, field conditions were also particularly wet in northern Germany, he said. "Regional lettuces and outdoor vegetables were thus partly in water, which in turn led to a supply shortage. Especially around week 30, there was very little produce available," sums up David Sommer, managing director of AS Frucht. Prices are still at a very high level, i.e. up to 30-40 percent above the previous year's level, he adds.
Oldenburg wholesale market traders. Clockwise: David Sommer of AS Frucht, Thorsten Hinz of Fruchtpartner GmbH, the facade of potato wholesaler Ulrich and Marina boss Ekrem Kusu together with his warehouse manager.
The headquarters of the gastro-wholesaler Marina GmbH
A similar story is reported by the neighbors of Marina GmbH, a full-range catering wholesaler. "For certain types of lettuce or vegetables, prices have roughly doubled compared to the previous year. Overall, the price situation is high and stable everywhere, regardless of whether it's lettuce or iceberg lettuce. Vegetable prices in other countries of origin, such as the Netherlands or Spain, are also far above average, which is why we currently lack an alternative," says Managing Director Ekrem Kusu when asked. According to him, the same applies to the tomato market. "In this area, we are particularly troubled by the extreme price fluctuations. At the moment, even tomatoes are being sourced from Turkey, which is otherwise rather rare in the summer."
Regional cucumbers from GBZ Papenburg in the Fruchtpartner GmbH warehouse
In the case of German cucumbers, prices have already been relatively too low throughout the season, confirms Thorsten Hinz, managing director of Fruchtpartner GmbH. Among other things, he offers the popular salad cucumbers from regional partner Gartenbauzentrale Papenburg eG. "The Dutch suppliers kept prices so low at the beginning of the season that they were barely adequate, even in view of the increased production costs. In the meantime, the price has stabilized to some extent, while Spain is already pressing the market with the first export volumes. In this respect, it has been a difficult marketing season so far."
Bagged potatoes in the warehouse of the Ulrich GmbH
The range of products offered by the Oldenburg wholesale market is rounded off with potatoes and onions from Ulrich GmbH. "We are still waiting for the first newly harvested onions from the region and help ourselves to the goods from the Netherlands and Spain. The potato business is also currently rather restrained with high, stable prices," Hendrik Stojek, deputy branch manager, summarizes the situation. "We are through with the early potatoes and look back on a successful campaign with mostly stable lots. Those who do not have sufficient storage capacity will want to market their volumes early, which in turn is related to increased electricity and storage costs. This will also be reflected in the quotations."