"A clear commitment to the wholesale market was communicated to us by the city of Stuttgart. This means that, as part of the critical infrastructure, we are still specified as a wholesale market in the long-term planning and development scenario and are also fixed as a wholesale market in the land use plan," Thomas Lehmann tells us on site.
He has been managing director of Märkte Stuttgart GmbH since 2018. "Geographically speaking, speculation about residential construction on this site would be pointless. Because while there is rail traffic on one side, you find the federal highway on the other."
Thomas Lehmann
Better weekly market turnover than in 2019
For around 65 years, Stuttgart Wholesale Market has been supplying weekly markets, grocery shops and other buyers within a range of 300 km. "Some producers who sell their produce at the wholesale vegetable market also market it at the weekly markets for which we are also responsible, with many of the farmers also running their own farm shops." During the pandemic, he said, weekly markets experienced a boom, which has slowed down again, although the current figures are still better than in 2019. "Our European neighbours also show that weekly markets are an important source of fresh regional food."
In addition, the variety of products on offer speaks for itself, he said. "The individual companies work together with different producers, so new products are always coming onto the market. The variety is then also reflected in the town's own offerings, not least in the catering businesses that buy from the market companies."
Staff urgently needed
The shortage of staff at the wholesale market continues to be a difficult task to solve. "Every business is urgently looking for staff, skilled workers, truck drivers, etc. There were fewer truck drivers employed during the pandemic. Many have changed their jobs. In addition, some of the truck drivers were from Ukraine and Russia. They are missing because of the war."
He says the situation is similar with warehouse work. "People from Bulgaria and Romania who were employed in Germany now earn their money directly in their home countries. During the Corona crisis, these workers increasingly returned home and are not coming back any time soon."
Space fully let
According to Lehmann, 100 per cent of the space at the wholesale market has been let. "We have about 150 businesses on the site. It is rare for one of them to leave, apart from companies that close down due to age. Every square metre that comes back to us is immediately let again. There is a need for several 10,000 square metres. Again and again we receive enquiries from outside. However, by then the spaces are usually already taken internally."
The floor space of the wholesale store is about 200,000 sqm. "We also have larger photovoltaic systems on the roofs, which have a total output of 1,900 kWp. The photovoltaic areas are being expanded, but we are currently only focusing on our own needs. Electricity costs are still a big issue, especially with regard to the cooling systems."
Thomas Lehmann at the Süzen company on the Stuttgart wholesale market
Stagnation in the organic sector
For a while, there had been a clear increase in organic products. "At the moment, demand is stagnating, unfortunately," says Lehmann. "This is probably due to the high price difference to conventional goods. In addition, we notice that the quality of imported goods is declining somewhat. The high-quality products tend to be sold in the producing country itself, i.e. in France, Spain and Italy, while the remaining goods are marketed in other European countries. I hope that this trend will come back."
Drought threatens security of supply
In some regions of Italy and southern Europe it has not rained for more than 110 days. In Germany, too, there are longer and longer periods of drought. "Water has become a scarce and expensive commodity. If you want to buy high-quality products, you will have to be prepared for higher prices. But that is a matter of course in countries like France. This attitude should also re-establish itself in Germany," pleads Lehmann.
"Otherwise, the self-sufficiency rate in Germany will not increase. As soon as there is a major drought in the large producer countries such as Spain, Italy, Greece and France, etc., we would have to grow more of our own crops again in Germany, otherwise we will run into a supply problem. Italy, for example, delivers about half of its total production to other European countries, including Germany. But if northern Italy continues to struggle with the problems of drought, then things will get tighter for us too."
"Not only digital worlds, but also farms that grow fruit and vegetables"
For this, he said, it is also important that consumers gain a better awareness of products from Germany and also be prepared to pay more. "Policymakers must do a better job of promoting such issues. For example, if a young person decides to open a fruit and vegetable farm, he would have to buy a farm from someone, unless there is succession, and he would not receive any meaningful support for it. As a start-up company, for example in the field of digitalisation, you get so much support that you virtually don't know where to put your money anymore," Lehmann regrets. "We don't just need a digital world, but also businesses that grow fruit and vegetables."
In this context, he says, wholesale markets are an important element of the supply network. "Here, the producers' goods can be bundled and distributed to the different groups of buyers. The most important thing is to raise the degree of self-sufficiency in Germany, Lehmann said. "By this I mean that it is of course also important to grow plants for biofuels, but it is equally important to produce fruit and vegetables for the population in Germany. We need to invest and use more resources and potential for this. In the end, however, it is also up to consumers to pay more and promote appreciation for regional produce."
The Federal Association GFI Deutsche Frischemärkte e.V. (GFI) - of which Lehmann is a board member - has already met with Federal Minister of Agriculture Cem Özdemir to make its voice heard. "There will also be several meetings, for example next year at Fruit Logistica. Something is moving, but we need to keep working on more visibility for wholesale markets and highlight their important role in food security."
Further information:
Thomas Lehmann
Märkte Stuttgart GmbH
Langwiesenweg 30
70327 Stuttgart
T +49 711 48041 0
F +49 711 48041 444
info@maerkte-stuttgart.de
https://www.grossmarkt-stuttgart.de