In some fields, the kale harvest had already begun by the end of September and it will continue into March. Under the right weather conditions, the palm leafy kale plants - still firmly anchored in the earth - will last a very long time. "The climatic conditions this year were good, even though the kale was a little too dry in July and August. Still, the conditions give us hope for a good harvest," says Wilhelm Stemmann, wholesaler
at the Hamburg wholesale market, in a current market report. This year he is looking forward to be able to harvest about 50,000 kale plants on his 2 hectare cultivation area in northern Lower Saxony.
Cultivation areas in Germany
Even though young consumers do not show very much interest in kale, the demand for kale has not declined in recent years. In 2019, kale was grown on 1010 ha all over Germany. Besides Lower Saxony with 429 ha, a high proportion of the area is in North Rhine-Westphalia with 464 ha. (The figures for 2020 are not yet available to us.) That is 5% of the total area under kale cultivation in Germany.
Special prices for consumers
Up to now, the promotions in the supermarkets have mainly taken place in the Rein-Ruhr area. Northern Germany is catching up in the course of the month. Special prices of 2,44 EUR/kg are to be expected. Many consumers ask themselves whether they should not wait for the first frosty nights to buy kale. Stemmann assures us: "Most kale varieties do not need frost anymore."
For more information:
Stemmann GmbH
Wilhelm Stemmann
Großmarkt Hamburg, Stand 296 Ost G
Tel: +49 (0) 40 / 33 50 40
Fax: +49 (0) 40 / 33 18 17
e-mail: info@kartoffel-stemmann.de
Internet: www.kartoffel-stemmann.de