This year's marketing season for domestic tomatoes and cucumbers got off to a rather bumpy start, according to Willi Sippel, managing director of the family business of the same name in the heart of Nuremberg's Knoblauchsland. "The price structure for both products has been disastrous since the start of the season, mainly due to the low prices of Dutch produce. This is particularly troubling for us. Yields, on the other hand, have been fine across the board."
Lack of light characterizes first phase of the season
In calendar week 7, the first mini cucumbers of this year's season were harvested in the Sippel family's modern greenhouse. "Cucumbers were then available from calendar week 9. We were able to plant our crops in calendar weeks 4-5 this year, around a week earlier than last year. The amount of light in the first phase of the season was not bad, but unfortunately, the fluctuations are sometimes very extreme. 400-500 joules/day would be ideal for the growth of our cucumbers, but we are increasingly seeing peaks of up to 900 joules/day," reports managing director Willi Sippel.
In addition to cucumbers, the family business grows tomatoes on around 1.5 hectares, including bush, cherry, cocktail, and eggplant tomatoes. Sippel: "Until 2023, we always planted our tomatoes around week 2, but due to the exponential rise in energy costs, we are currently planting the crops later, in week 4. Another factor we are facing is the Jordan virus. This has meant that we have had to abandon our tried-and-tested varieties and replant our crops with new, resistant varieties last year."
Willi Sippel also grows mini cucumbers and slicer cucumbers. The latter are particularly popular at the local wholesale market in Nuremberg. Up to 90 percent of production finds its way into food retail via Franken-Gemüse eG.
The dedicated producer looks back on the conversion of his farm with mixed feelings: "Unfortunately, we paid a steep price for learning the ropes in the first season after the switch. We had everything from blossom end rot to bursting or undersized fruits. All in all, we had to accept a considerable loss, especially with vine tomatoes (around three-quarters of our total tomato production), as we had around 15-20 percent less yield per square meter at the end of the year. To spread the risk a little, we planted slightly fewer vine tomatoes this year and a little more of other tomato varieties instead. Fortunately, in addition to our main variety, we also tested a few other HR vine tomato varieties last year, one of which performed quite well. We have planted these on a larger scale this year."
A look inside the tomato greenhouse. The Sippel family grows tomatoes on around 1.5 hectares. The tomatoes are usually harvested by mid/late November.
Price competition with imported tomatoes and cucumbers
Apart from the challenges of cultivation, market conditions have not necessarily become any easier in recent years, Sippel continues. "Although demand for German tomatoes is consistently high and stable, prices are unfortunately too low in relation to the high production costs that we as gardeners have to consider. This is exacerbated by the price war with cheap imported tomatoes: although the Netherlands and Belgium can no longer produce as cheaply as they did ten years ago, in recent years we have been in direct competition with Spain, and in the past two years, Turkey and Morocco have become increasingly important."
Sippel observes a similar price war for cucumbers: "For cucumbers, we are in direct competition with the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, and Greece. For mini cucumbers, however, the competition is somewhat more manageable, as this is a premium product. Nevertheless, I would rate last year's marketing season for cucumbers as quite satisfactory," he concludes.
For more information:
Willi Sippel
Gemüsebau Sippel GbR
Höfleser Hauptstraße 88
90427 Nuremberg
Tel: 0911/30700750
Fax: 0911/30700755
E-Mail: [email protected]
Homepage: www.gemuesebau-sippel.de