Germany: ‘Spanish stocks are expected to sell out until the new harvest’

Spanish rosé products of the private label Osvi

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The current season is now slowly coming to an end, says Jörg Sturmberg of Jersa Import GmbH, based in Bergisch Gladbach. “On May 4, we expect the fresh, green goods from the new Spanish harvest. I assume that we will have largely sold out the old Spanish stocks at the beginning of the new harvest in Spain, from early to mid-June.”

The experienced importer has been involved in the procurement of goods from all over the world for over 30 years and is currently observing various developments in the garlic sector. As an example he cites the declining market share of 'normal' white garlic. Its share is becoming smaller and smaller as it is much more susceptible to rot during storage than other varieties. In Spain, the Spring variety has been on the rise for several years. The same goes for the rosé Morado variety, which is even more intense in taste than the Spring. Furthermore, this vegetable is more beautiful because its cloves are closed at the top. However, the yield per hectare is lower and production is therefore more expensive.”

Continuous development
The German food retail trade (LEH) is characterized by some clear tendencies today as well. On the shelves of well-known supermarkets, the Morado is emerging more and more. In the discount sector, white garlic from China is currently still very much in demand. Big calibers are still the most popular. Sturmberg: "The market share of exclusive varieties such as black and smoked garlic is currently still quite low, although some chains will have these in their assortment constantly. In general it is true that the consumer has been differentiating between more and more varieties for the last 10 to 15 years. There’s a reason for the significant increase of the per capita consumption, over the years.”

Fresh garlic from Egyptian fields

The growing customer awareness as well as the growing interest in this vegetable is also noticeable through the steady expansion of the Egyptian and European acreages. In addition to the original countries of origin -Spain and France-, attempts are now being made to grow garlic in other regions of Europe, including Bulgaria, Central Europe and even Uzbekistan. Sturmberg: "You can also see regional production in Germany. Garlic is now being produced in the Palatinate and the Lower Rhine region as well.”

Mallas 200g: traditional white garlic from Spain.

Procurement of goods
Jersa GmbH was founded in 1986 and has established itself over the years as a competent and efficient source of goods on the market. Since the company was founded, the import company has a partnership with the Spanish firm Jesus Requena SA (hence JERSA), which has an acreage of approximately 300 hectares. In turn, Jersa GmbH also has trade relations with partners from all over the world, including China and Egypt.