There are eight large endive forcing facilities in Switzerland, Gamper in Stettfurt is one of them, and supplies the country's leading food retail chains. It forces around 2,500 tons of endive heads per year, 500 tons of which are certified organic. Gamper has a market share of around 30 per cent for conventional endive in Switzerland and around 90 per cent for organic endive. The origins of the endive business date back to the 1970s.
© Gamper & Co. Gemüsekulturen
Demand for endive has been 'very stable' for years, as have market prices. In retail, a kilogram costs around four francs (5 USD). According to figures from the Swiss Center for Vegetable and Special Crops (SZG), the quantity produced in Switzerland in 2000 was 2,800 tons. In 2023, it was 5,450 tons. The quantity has not increased in the past ten years. "When it's warm, we sell noticeably less endive," says managing director Fabian Etter (pictured above). Although there is high demand for endive around the holidays, "it is highest in January and February, when it is usually really cold."
For more information:
www.gampergemuese.ch
