Rhubarb has been harvested for about three weeks now at the Bavarian farm Nefzger in Inchenhofen OT Sainbach, marking a start that is four weeks ahead of previous years. "Even though we are just at the beginning of the season, the yields and quality so far have been particularly satisfying. There's also a high demand for the first regional rhubarb. It's evident that our Bavarian rhubarb has an interesting unique selling point. Therefore, we look forward to the rest of the campaign with confidence," say Peter Nefzger, CEO of the company.
Freshly harvested rhubarb. A portion of the yield is processed into rhubarb juice as well.
About five years ago, Nefzger ventured into open-field rhubarb cultivation. Starting with about two hectares, the cultivation capacity has since been significantly increased. "We are currently harvesting on 4.5 hectares under double-layered foil. We have to wait about three more weeks for the conventional open-field rhubarb without protective covering," Nefzger explains, who also points to the high price level. "We started the season with kilo prices around 4.00 EUR, while we normally achieve prices around 3.00 EUR. However, we must not forget that production costs, especially labor costs, have risen sharply."
In addition to rhubarb cultivation, Nefzger operates an organic asparagus farm.
Nefzger mainly supplies his produce to the statewide retail market in Bavaria, the Munich wholesale market, and other large-scale buyers. About 10 percent of his yield is sold directly. The rhubarb season typically runs parallel to the asparagus campaign and thus officially ends on St. John's Day (June 24). The vegetable is offered in three different packaging options. "About 50 percent of our yield is sold loose in 5-kg crates. The rest is divided between flow packs in three different units (500, 750, and 1000 grams) and banded goods."
Images: Nefzger Rhubarb
For more information:
Peter Nefzger
Nefzger Rhubarb
Augsburger Str. 1
86570 Inchenhofen
Tel.: +49 171 3550297
E-mail: nefzger@googlemail.com
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