The German bean season is now drawing to a close: The last batches of this year's campaign are expected to be delivered in week 42/43, confirms Michael Schmidt, bean producer based in Lampertheim. "Due to the wet weather in spring, the first half of the season was rather mixed this year. There was uneven flowering on many plots and a little more wastage due to empty pods. In the second half of the season, yields and quality were much better."
As in other years, Schmidt was able to offer his first green beans from his own cultivation at the end of June. However, marketing was also rather bumpy at the beginning. "We have noticed that food retailers tend to switch to German green beans later. This year, goods from Morocco and Egypt were listed until mid-July." Otherwise, there is little competition with imported goods during the German season, before gradually switching back to Morocco in mid-October. This year's price level tended to be higher than last year's, with costs rising again, Schmidt continues. Processing the beans in particular requires a lot of manpower.
In addition to supplying the domestic market, smaller quantities of beans are also exported to Italy and France.
Falling demand in wholesale
The majority of the green beans produced in Lampertheim are sold to food retailers throughout Germany via Pfalzmarkt eG. The fresh pulses are also supplied to wholesale markets in southern Germany. "Our green bean cultivation capacities have remained relatively constant in recent years. We mainly produce medium-falling produce with a diameter of around nine millimetres. The 400 and 500 gram tubular bags are still common in the food retail sector, while the goods for the wholesale markets are mainly packed loose in 5 kg crates. Due to the downward trend in the canteen, catering, and weekly markets sectors, demand in this sales channel has been on a downward trend for several years," he concludes.
For more information:
Michael Schmidt
Gemüsebau Schmidt
In den Böllenruthen 12
68623 Lampertheim
Tel: 06206 911009
E-Mail: [email protected]
Website: www.schmidt-lampertheim.de