Fruit producer Marcel Blum on marketing his redcurrants:
"There were many factors this year that were rather unusual"
This year's soft fruit season at Obsthof Blum in Zülpich ends with the processing and delivery of the last redcurrants from CA long-term storage in week 45. "We can look back on a strong season with good quantities, quality and prices across all varieties," says owner Marcel Blum (r), who produces redcurrants on around 18 hectares, as well as blackcurrants and raspberries.
The first regional redcurrants of the early variety Marlena (2 hectares) were picked at the end of June. "The harvest window for this variety is only two weeks. Nevertheless, the yields and quality were good. The start of the harvest for our main variety Rovada, on the other hand, was characterised by a disproportionate amount of rainfall for the time of year. Thanks to our foil roofing, however, we were able to offer high-quality produce right from the start and the harvest quantities were also good overall, summarises the Landgard producer.
The last currants of this year's season were harvested in mid-August and then stored in the CA warehouse. Blum: "Unfortunately, this year we have a slightly higher failure rate than usual for goods in stock. In the past, there have also been years in which we were able to deliver until the beginning of December. It must also be said that we are still bringing significantly more tonnes onto the market than in previous years.
Growth potential for blackberries
In addition to the currants, blackberries and raspberries also grow and thrive on the family-run fruit farm. "At around half a hectare, the Tulameen raspberry variety is the smallest crop in our portfolio and is only offered for direct marketing from the beginning of July to mid-September. Compared to last year, however, we were able to achieve around 30% more sales in direct marketing this year."
With around four hectares, blackberries round off the Zülpich fruit farm's product range. Blum: "Although we had to end the season on 20 September, which is comparatively early, the prices were good and corresponded to an increase of around 20-25% compared to the previous year. This also meant that we were able to achieve higher profit margins despite the increased production costs." From a longer-term perspective, the trend for German blackberries is also quite positive.
Unusual berry year
"Overall, there were many factors that were unusual this year, whether it was the sales of blackberries and redcurrants, the price situation in general or the new customers who listed our produce. The biggest leverage factor in the coming years will continue to be labour costs. After all, this is a high-maintenance crop where we are still dependent on human labour. We now even have a turnover ratio in relation to labour costs of up to 60-70 percent, which is considerably higher than a few years ago. However, the demand for local soft fruits is still there and I believe it will stay that way. In this respect, we have no existential fears and are quite positive about the future."
For more information:
Marcel Blum
Obstbau Blum
53909 Zülpich
Tel.:0178 3883921
kontakt@obstbauerblum.de
www.obstbauerblum.de