The vegetable harvest is now in full swing in Marchfeld, the vegetable garden of Lower Austria. "We've already been harvesting onions for the fresh market for a few weeks. The qualities are pleasant this year. We are now also starting the harvest of carrots, which we market both conventionally and in organic quality, which traditionally lasts until Leopold's feast day on 15 November," Barbara Kargl, Managing Director of Schneider's Gemüseland Landesproduktenhandelsgesellschaft m.b.H., a company based in Marchfeld, explains.
Top quality and sustainability are very important to the Schneider family, says Kargl (m).
In terms of volume, carrots are still the company's main product. Using state-of-the-art plant technology such as colour sorting, polishing and packaging processes, the root vegetables are processed in a wide variety of ways. Organic products account for around a third of the total volume, and the trend is rising, says Kargl. "At the end of the day, carrots are still a staple food, so we are less affected by inflation and lower purchasing power. Nevertheless, we are trying to counteract the cost increases in production with well-thought-out investments in automation and sustainability. Three years ago, for example, we began gradually equipping the roof of our warehouse and offices with state-of-the-art PV systems. We have now reached the point where we can not only cover our own electricity needs, but also supply other companies with sustainably generated electricity."
Onions and sweetcorn
Another product in summer is sweetcorn, which is produced exclusively for the frozen food sector. Kargl: "We already separate the maize kernels from the cob and therefore supply a frozen product that can be used immediately in many sales channels, whether in retail or in further processing. We have also noticed that demand in both the organic and conventional sectors is increasing from year to year. We are helped by the fact that we support our growers with advice and assistance, i.e. comprehensive expertise on variety strategy and cultivation methods, which makes it much easier for newcomers and lateral entrants to add a new crop to their portfolio."
Carrots and potatoes
Export to other European countries
The Marchfeld-based company's products are marketed both in Austria and abroad, continues Kargl. "A significant proportion of our production volume is exported to other European countries such as Germany, Italy, Hungary and the Czech Republic. In terms of customer care and acquiring new customers, we are focussing on the following trade fairs: SIAL in Paris, the Nordic Organic Food Fair in Stockholm, BioFach in Nuremberg and Anuga in Cologne. The most important growth markets include not only retail and wholesale, but also convenience production (baby food, ready meals and pet food). In general, we have noticed that vegetable products are increasingly evolving from a side dish to a main ingredient. Accordingly, we are constantly endeavouring to expand our product portfolio to meet these social trends. Relatively new to our portfolio are our frozen potato strips, which are peeled, cut, blanched and frozen so that they are fat-free. Incidentally, this applies to our entire frozen range," concludes the company.
Visit the company at SIAL in hall 5A, stand number V 142 or at the Nordic Organic Food Fair (NOFF) in hall 6, stand 1-E.
Photo credit: Schneider's Gemüseland
For more information:
Barbara Kargl
Landesproduktenhandelsgesellschaft m.b.H.
Am Holzplatz 1
A 2301 Groß-Enzersdorf, Austria
Phone: (+43) 2249 2505
[email protected]
www.gemueseland.at
www.veggieland.at