"The sales figures for organic potatoes and organic onions are currently not very satisfactory. However, I would like to distance myself quite clearly from the statement that the organic market is collapsing," Josephine Hardt, Managing Director of Bio Kartoffel Erzeuger e.V., tells us. "2022 was not an easy year for organic potatoes, especially if you compare the sales figures with 2020 and 2021, which were downright highlights. However, the development before Corona was already positive as well. Organic products are no longer a niche."
Josephine Hardt at Fruit Logistica 2023
Association goods at good prices
Especially in the face of such difficulties, she said, it is important to maintain communication along the entire value chain and to learn from the crises. "We will certainly come through this period well and emerge from it stronger. After all, the organic potato is a premium product that is still available at affordable prices. In addition, more and more association-quality tubers are being grown, as well as marketed, and are available to consumers in sufficient quantities at affordable prices."
Acreage and crop volumes of the association's member farms are surveyed on a regular basis. "Our farms have become more professional by, among other things, investing in state-of-the-art cold storage technology and constantly expanding their agronomic know-how. Before last summer's hot and dry period, which many of our farms were able to counter with adapted irrigation concepts, we had a good start to the vegetation in the spring. A year-round supply of organic potatoes from domestic cultivation to the trade is therefore possible again." The 240 member farms were able to harvest an average of 30 tons per hectare of raw material nationwide, across all types of use, i.e. food, processing and seed propagation.
The managing directors of Bio Kartoffel Erzeuger e.V.: Josephine Hardt and Therese Wenzel. Photo: Bio Kartoffel Erzeuger e.V.
The marketing situation of organic potatoes
Direct marketing is significantly higher in states such as Bavaria, Germany's second-largest growing region, than in Lower Saxony, for example, they said. "However, this is mainly due to regional structures, demographics and the historical development of farms," Hardt explains. "Direct marketing or farm-gate sales are an important sales channel. But in fact, three-quarters of organic potatoes have been marketed through conventional food retailers for years." Production of organic potatoes has been increasing in recent years due to a steady rise in demand, Hardt said. The task now is to accompany the joint further development of cultivation and sales.
The majority of organic potatoes are still offered as edibles, she said. In addition, the processing sector continues to develop: "Organic potatoes are also used in flake and starch production, but this is not being pushed in cultivation. In chips and fries production, again, you will mainly find contract farming. We expect the trade to show even more interest in these products."
Decreasing import volumes
"When the association was founded in 2010, the import share of organic potatoes was still relatively high. Grower companies have become increasingly specialized, which has been noticed and supported by many marketing companies. In light of this, import shares have dropped noticeably in recent years."
The main importing countries include Egypt, Israel and Spain. "However, Germany is no longer a reliable sales market for these countries, because we can always guarantee a year-round supply of domestic goods in this country. This priority is increasingly also set by the trade. because the affinity of consumers for domestic goods is there. Of course, the quality must be right, which is also our claim and which we can guarantee due to the intensive care of organic potatoes in the field and in storage."
Generational change in the industry
"For a generational change in the industry, an attractive working environment is a necessity. In the organic sector, there is the visionary idea of constantly trying new things and moving forward, which can be very appealing to young people. It's motivating to see how many young and committed colleagues there are on the farms."
"In our association, there was also a generational change two years ago after my colleague Therese Wenzel and I took over the management. As a representation of the interests of our farmers, we will continue to work for the development of organic agriculture and successful marketing of organic products in the future."
For more information:
Geschäftsführerin Josephine Hardt
Bio Kartoffel Erzeuger e.V.
j.hardt@bke-verein.de
www.bke-verein.de