"Expansion potential is certainly there, not least because of climate change"

In the first week of June, the Huber vegetable farm, based in Sünikon, started the third harvest year of domestic garlic. Unlike many other vegetable crops, the persistently high temperatures are playing into the bulbs' favor for growth, according to cultivation manager Hermann Huber (r). "Garlic loves heat, so it is thriving particularly well at the moment. So far, its quality is also significantly better than last year."

The family business cultivates and markets mainly fresh garlic, which can be offered mainly between June and August. Huber says, "The garlic needs certain storage conditions so that it can be processed and dried appropriately, so that it can then be marketed later in the fall and winter. That's difficult at the moment, which is why we bring the bulk of our yield to market in fresh form." The 'green' garlic is marketed to wholesale distributors and selected wholesalers at Engrosmarkt Zurich.

© Huber Gemüse
The preparation of fresh garlic. The core competence of the vegetable farm is the production and preparation of carrots.

Complex preparation and high production costs
According to Huber, garlic is a particularly high-maintenance crop, not so much in terms of cultivation, but in terms of preparation, production involves a considerable amount of extra work. "With the current additional costs that we already have in production anyway, production is actually too expensive to be economical. Meanwhile, Swiss garlic naturally can't match the prices of imported goods, so we're more or less dependent on the goodwill of our buyers."

Moreover, unlike other vegetable crops, net revenue from garlic is hard to predict, he said. "Although we produce on about three hectares, we cannot at all calculate in advance how large the volume of marketable goods will be," describes Huber, who in addition to garlic also has sweet potatoes as a specialty crop in his broad portfolio.

Nevertheless, Huber sees growth opportunities for Swiss garlic cultivation. "There is certainly potential for expansion, not least because climate change and the rising temperatures are playing into our hands. Although we are not active in organic cultivation ourselves, I see good sales opportunities in this market segment in particular, especially since second-rate goods are more often accepted or otherwise utilized in this area."

For more information:
Hermann Huber
Huber Gemüse
Neubrunnenstrasse 12
8162 Sünikon
Tel.: 044 854 80 80
[email protected] 
www.huber.ch