The
pumpkin season is in full swing and pumpkin producers and marketers are likely to enjoy good sales. Producers and marketers like as Stefan Gamb (right) from the company of the same name in Eschbach. "We ship about 80-150 tons of Hokkaido, butternut and regular pumpkins every day. The goods are sold throughout Germany and can be found in almost every major chain, i.e. discounters as well as full-range stores," Gamb tells us.
Production costs for pumpkins up 20-25 percent
"From spring until the end of September, pumpkin production already costs 20-25 percent more. Since the start of October we expect costs to increase by 30-35 percent, given the minimum wage increase. Within the trade, just 5 to 10 percent of these costs can be passed on. German producers will need to up their prices a bit to ensure long-term production. Both retailers and consumers are interested in being supplied with domestic goods. But with the costs rising so incredibly fast, it is becoming increasingly difficult," says Gamb.
Costs are rising abroad as well, of course, due in no small part to high energy and production costs. "Transport costs from Spain have also risen exorbitantly. But labor costs, which have increased threefold in some cases, are currently the biggest cost factor in the business," Gamb says. Labor costs have already been adjusted three times within a year. Furthermore, there are packaging materials such as cardboard boxes, for which Gamb has recorded an increase of 30 percent. For some plastic crates it was 10-12 percent. Transportation is about 20 percent costlier due to increased fuel requirements, he said.
"The season started in July with Hokkaido and in August with butternut. We continue to offer produce from Germany until about December. October, of course, continues to be the pumpkin month par excellence. We have a customer who needs the produce even after the end of the German season, which is why we then fall back on produce from Spain and Portugal, which equates to about 200 tons of pumpkins."
Photo: Gamb Obst und Gemüse Vermarktungs GbR
Good quality despite drought
The pumpkins are of great quality, according to Gamb. Due to the dry summer, there was a lack of water, which was evident in the growth of the pumpkins. At the same time, the high temperatures ensured good sugar content as well as a robust skin. "The majority of my land I can irrigate myself. However, there is a sub-area that cannot be irrigated. Still, instead of limiting production, we may simply need to vary the seeding timing. In the end, there have been extremely few complaints regarding our pumpkins. The produce is simply very well received," says Gamb.
The farm offers purely conventional produce, and given the current situation, Gamb says he's happy about that, since organic growers are in an extremely difficult position. "As Hokkaido squash is a strong organic item, this year we focused on butternut squash, which is usually grown conventionally. Worldwide, the butternut is after all the most consumed pumpkin variety. In North and South America, for example, people are almost completely unaware of the Hokkaido," Gamb concludes.
For more information:
Stefan Gamb
Stefan und Daniela Gamb Obst und Gemüse Vermarktungs GbR
Gewerbepark Breisgau
Heitersheimer Str. 5 b
79427 Eschbach
Tel: +49 7634/503897
Fax: +49 7634/553113
E-Mail: [email protected]
Internet: https://gemuese-gamb.eu
