Sweet potatoes are nowadays indispensable in German wholesale and retail. After all, these tubers are on the shelf almost all year round. As of mid-September, overseas products will gradually be supplemented with fresh tubers from Spain, which are usually available until the end of the year. Wholesaler Theodor Stadtmann GmbH & Co. KG - based in Bottrop - has been involved in the marketing of sweet potatoes for some years and has noticed some interesting developments.
The Theodor Stadtmann team at the Potato Europe event
Currently, Spanish tubers dominate events within the German trade. In two to three weeks, Portuguese products will start arriving on the market, says a spokesperson for Theodor Stadtmann GmbH & Co. At the end of the year, the US harvest will be extended. "The results of the upcoming US harvest are difficult to predict. In the state of North Carolina, a hurricane has raged recently and that's certainly causing harvest problems. Because so much is under water there.''
The extent to which yields and quality/quantity will be influenced by this will become clear during the season. The acreage has also dropped from about 82,000 to 76,000 ha since last year. ''Therefore we are expecting a yield deficit of about 20 percent this year.''Left: one of the main varieties - 'Beauregard'
German tubers
The company from Bottroper started marketing sweet potatoes some 4 to 5 years ago, at that time mainly regionally cultivated tubers. Due to the high production costs and the limited availability, the market has tended to become more focused on imported goods. ''As a rule, it is individual farmers who grow German sweet potatoes, marketing them through direct sales. German cultivation possibilities and the know-how are not as well-developed as those in Spain or other countries. In addition to this, the production costs are also much higher, making the product only profitable when marketed directly to restaurants and kitchens. That is why German sweet potatoes still play a minor role quantitatively.''
Currently, the US is still the leader regarding sweet potato cultivation for the European market. In second place are countries like Honduras, Guatemala and Egypt, as well as Spain and Portugal. In Germany, the product has essentially established itself in recent years. ''Therefore, as of yet one can not speak of a long-term clientele development. However, we clearly see the number of suppliers growing constantly.''
Processing
In contrast to the normal potatoes, organic tubers are currently still a marginal phenomenon. Although this product would be very well suited to organic farming, the producer must have the appropriate certifications. The processing of sweet potatoes is still in its infancy: ''Very often, B-quality commodities are used. In Belgium, sweet potatoes are already increasingly being used for producing French fries. The Beauregard, Covington, Jewel and Erato Orange are the most common varieties here in Germany. In addition to these, there are purple and white fleshed sweet potatoes. However, so far these are still a marginal phenomenon.
Raw materials' import
The Theodor Stadtmann company was founded in 1912; it was run by the two managing directors Christian Fockenberg & Karl Ohligs. It primarily supplies wholesale customers in the Rhine-Ruhr area, as well as wholesale markets nationwide. In addition to this, the company sees itself as a raw material supplier for potato packing and peeling companies as well as the processing industry for chips and French fries. In essence, their products originate from domestic fields and contract cultivation from Cyprus, Spain, Portugal and Malta. In addition to this, raw materials are imported from the Netherlands, France, Israel and Egypt.
Furthermore, the tubers are exported to various countries, depending on the market situation. In addition to potatoes, the company operates in the onion, seed potato and - more recently - Spanish onion markets.
For more information:
Theodor Stadtmann GmbH & Co. KG
Gladbecker Straße 94
46236 Bottrop
Tel.: +49 2041 1845 - 0
Fax: +49 2041 1845 - 20
E-Mail: info@stadtmann-bottrop.de
Web: www.stadtmann-bottrop.de