This year's plum harvest in the important growing region of Rheinhessen, Germany, is currently in full swing. As in the previous year, the first early plums were harvested in mid-July, and the harvest of the popular Cacak's Schöne variety is now gradually gaining momentum. After last year's weaker harvest, weather conditions have been largely favorable this year. "Although there are certain differences between the individual varieties and locations, we are seeing very encouraging fruit set overall and predominantly marketable sizes (30+ to 35+). Accordingly, we can already say that we will far exceed the original harvest estimates," reports Sascha Türmer from the sales department of VOG Rheinhessen eG, based in Ingelheim.
The marketing of regional stone fruit is also picking up speed. Türmer: "At the beginning of the season, everyone was looking for produce, but due to the holidays, demand is currently somewhat subdued. Meanwhile, we are seeing increased advertising frequency on the part of food retailers, which we welcome given the high volume pressure." Current prices are roughly on par with last year's levels, with costs rising again. Once the Rheinhessen plum harvest is complete in late September/early October, VOG eG will offer imported produce, primarily from Eastern Europe.
In the long term, plums are establishing themselves as a stable product segment, Türmer continues. "In particular, the tried-and-tested varieties such as Cacak's Schöne, Hauszwetschgen, and Auerbacher have recorded fairly stable sales in recent years. In the fresh produce sector, around 80 percent of our volumes now go to food retailers, with wholesale markets still representing an important sales channel, accounting for around one-fifth of total volumes."
© VOG Ingelheim
Insight into stone fruit cultivation in Rheinhessen
Mirabelle plums: Fresh market on the rise
VOG eG was founded in its current form at the end of the 1960s as a central marketing agency for fruit harvests in Rheinhessen. The company is primarily dedicated to the procurement and marketing of regionally produced pome, berry, and stone fruit. Over the years, VOG eG has developed into the largest supplier of domestic mirabelle plums. The product has been able to maintain its position as a stable niche product. Türmer: "Similar to the plums, we are expecting a bumper harvest, which, according to the latest figures, will be around 20 percent above the original estimate." Unlike plums, the harvest and marketing window for mirabelle plums is very short. The fruit is usually harvested in just three to four weeks.
The first deliveries to food retailers were made in week 31. In addition to the tried-and-tested Mirabelle de Nancy variety, VOG has also been offering the Bellamira variety to retailers for several years. The latter is typically slightly larger (25-28+) than Mirabelle de Nancy (22-25). "Unfortunately, we are finding that the fresh market for mirabelle plums is declining year on year. Due to low demand and correspondingly higher markdowns, more and more retail chains have stopped listing this product."
Mirabelle plums are mainly found at the point of sale in small containers (350/400/500g trays) and loose, while plums are primarily offered in 1.5 kg large trays. In line with the PPWR packaging regulation, many food retailers are already switching to sustainable cardboard trays.
Encouraging results for sweet cherries and apricots
The domestic cherry and apricot season has now come to an end. Türmer: "We had around 90 percent more yield for sweet cherries than last year. We also harvested more than twice as many apricots this year as last year, which we were able to harvest until the beginning of August. We recorded consistently very good quality for both products. As a result, we could sell almost all of our produce and supply retail chains with high-quality goods throughout the season."
Future prospects for stone fruit production
How stone fruit cultivation will develop in the coming years remains to be seen. "Due to rising production costs, labor-intensive crops such as plums and mirabelle plums are becoming increasingly unattractive from the producer's standpoint. If the government does nothing to ensure that harvest workers are not bound by the minimum wage, producers will no longer be able to cover their costs. A downward trend is therefore to be expected in German agriculture in the near future."
For more information:
Sascha Türmer
Vereinigte Großmärkte für Obst + Gemüse Rheinhessen eG
Am Großmarkt 1
55218 Ingelheim
Phone: +49 (0)6132 7 84-0
[email protected]
www.vog.de
