To mark the official start of the fresh vegetable season, Pfalzmarkt für Obst und Gemüse eG is once again presenting its complete spring range: in addition to strawberries, lettuce, leafy salads, kohlrabi, asparagus, rhubarb, etc., spring onions and radishes have been harvested since March in Germany's largest and earliest contiguous open-air cultivation area for fresh vegetables.
In 2024, 230,000 tons of fruit and vegetables were marketed via the Pfalzmarkt eG trading platform. This figure was slightly above the level of the 2023 financial year (226,000 tons). The trend in sales was slightly contrary to this. In 2024, this amounted to €307 million, compared to €339.6 million in 2023. The number of employees at Pfalzmarkt eG was also roughly on par with 2023 (200 employees). The number of 90 active Pfalzmarkt producers remained unchanged.
The trio at the helm of Pfalzmarkt eG: from left to right, Supervisory Board Chairman Christian Deyerling and the two Pfalzmarkt board members, Hans-Jörg Friedrich and Reinhard Oerther.
Broccoli, celery, and Chinese cabbage trended in 2024
Pfalzmarkt eG markets a total of around 140 different fresh products with over 15,000 different product variants. Pfalzmarkt board member Reinhard Oerther explains: "In terms of customer demand and sales weighting of bestsellers at Pfalzmarkt eG, there are some interesting trends for 2024: Pak choi has made it into our top 20 ranking of best-selling fruit and vegetable varieties. Likewise, it is exciting that celery and celeriac are almost neck and neck in terms of harvest volumes. Broccoli, Chinese cabbage, and Hokkaido pumpkins are also very popular with shoppers!"
Efforts in terms of sustainability and internationalization
Through a wide range of measures, the "Pfalzmarkt creates biodiversity" project, which has been expanded to over nine hectares in the current season, aims to secure and promote species diversity and biodiversity in the Palatinate vegetable garden. Hans-Jörg Friedrich, CEO of Pfalzmarkt eG, says: "Once our 15,000 m2 rooftop PV system on Hall 4 was connected to the grid in mid-2024, we will make Hall 4's energy supply more self-sufficient in the current season, making Pfalzmarkt eG even more sustainable and future-proof."
To be able to reliably supply Pfalzmarkt customers with top sellers from its product portfolio beyond the actual harvest season in the Palatinate region, including during the winter months, Pfalzmarkt eG has specifically expanded its 12-month strategy, which has been established over several years. Pfalzmarkt CEO Reinhard Oerther explains: "After working very successfully with vegetable growers in Portugal since 2020 for our winter business, selecting them according to our strict quality standards, we are now taking the next logical step. In the current season, we will welcome the first producer from Portugal as a Pfalzmarkt member."
The basis for the internationalization of the cooperative model is laid down in an amendment to the articles of association, which was approved by all Pfalzmarkt members at the beginning of 2025. Christian Deyerling, Chairman of the Supervisory Board at Pfalzmarkt eG, says: "By bridging the natural break in cultivation during the winter months in the Palatinate and ensuring reliable deliveries to our customers in Pfalzmarkt quality, we are responding to market demands. Our customers want Pfalzmarkt quality and reliability all year round. Internationalization does not change the core and cultivation focus of our cooperative. Our focus will continue to be on growing and marketing fruit and vegetables that are 'freshly harvested from the Palatinate' from February/March to November/December."
Latent crises complicate seasonal outlook
Deyerling adds: "Following last autumn's flooding in Spain, cultivation has shifted to Turkey and North Africa. The Russian invasion of Ukraine and the ensuing energy crisis, which has caused massive damage to Germany's growth, show that autocratic states cannot guarantee Germany's supply of fruit and vegetables in the medium to long term. In this age of latent crises, it is difficult to predict how the season will unfold!"
Fair, competitive conditions needed
To become as independent as possible from foreign fruit and vegetables in times of global supply chain uncertainty, rethinking is essential. To maintain competition and reasonable consumer prices, domestic cultivation is indispensable, as it scores highly in terms of fast order and delivery times, top freshness, and therefore also in terms of carbon footprint and sustainability. Deyerling continues: "Instead of promoting particularly healthy fruit and vegetables grown locally in Germany, which are close at hand and sustainable, especially regarding security of supply, politicians still do not seem to have understood the signs of the times, as the current discussion about a further minimum wage increase without exceptions for seasonal workers from Eastern Europe shows. Higher costs for our small and medium-sized fruit and vegetable farms will lead us down a dead-end path. What we need, at least within the EU, is finally a level playing field!"
For more information:
www.pfalzmarkt.de/