2020 is a special year for German garlic. Few shipments from Spain, logistical problems in China, the exceptionally fast sale of garlic and the extremely large demand for regional products have ensured a busy summer at Pantiru in Lampertheim, the 'California of Hesse'. "Last year we had the impression that the potential on the market was exhausted, the current season proves the opposite", says Konstanze Pantiru, who runs the company together with her husband Ciprian.
Konstanze Pantiru during the last summer's visit by FreshPlaza.
The weather was ideal for garlic, this growing season: "Garlic needs a lot of heat, but it wasn't too hot. We irrigated the fields and the rain came at the right time - there was no lack of water and it wasn't too wet. These optimal conditions enabled us to achieve the maximum yield from our land."
This year, sales increased significantly: "Fortunately, we planted an additional 6 hectares this year, so that we could stay on the dried garlic market longer, late in the season. We would never have expected this huge sales volume - we were swamped due to Corona." Pantiru's garlic cultivation area now amounts to about 30 hectares.
The Pantiru family in front of the company's processing plant. Here the garlic is cleaned, stored and dried.
The company's team during last year's visit.
The availability of manpower was a concern for Konstanze Pantiru at the beginning of the year: "In the end, we were lucky in this respect as well and were able to fly in our usual Romanian team. Thanks to the well-rehearsed team, the work flow in the farm is almost the same, albeit with restrictions regarding free time: "We had to explain to our helpers that they are not allowed to leave the farm for two weeks. My family themselves also stayed at home to avoid infection, as this would have paralyzed our farm at that time. We rented extra accommodation for the helpers, provided disinfectant and hand washing stations. It was a big effort in the preparation, but now it is going well."
May was a busy month for Konstanze: "This year, the season started on May 13th. At that time, our children still had to be taught from home because the schools were closed. Then all the orders came in at once, we had to request additional workers and even hired another office worker to handle all the requests." Due to the large, early shipments, the season will not end in September as usual, but at the end of August at the latest.
The garlic 'from the region, for the region' is well received in the current crisis situation: "We have the same sales channels as in the last few years, but bigger volumes were sold in each case. Regionality is important to consumers; they know our business and know that we comply with all the necessary regulations. This creates confidence in our garlic."
For more information:
Konstanze Pantiru
Pantiru Knoblauchkulturen GbR & Saatguthandel
Tel: +49 (0)6206 1556140
Ciprian Pantiru: 0173 1065833
Konstanze Pantiru: 0174 4678858
E-Mail: pantiru.ciprian@t-online.de
www.pantiru-knoblauchkulturen.de