Germany: After the top year 2010 a bitter economic downturn followed for the growers of the German Reichenau area in 2011. This although the almost 100 companies with 14,000 tons produced even more vegetables than in 2010.
"It was clear that the turnover was collapsing" secretary Johannes Bliestle declared during the general meeting of the vegetable cooperative in Reichenau. 2011 was the worst year of the last decade. The cooperative could pay the growers almost two million euro less (12,7 percent) for delivered products than in 2010. The only consolation: 2012 has up to now given better returns for the growers for lettuce and cucumber and can actually only get better for the growers.
"2011 already started unfavourably: because of the warm weather there was a lot of lettuce on the market resulting in a low return for the vegetable" as per Bliestle. The EHEC-crisis at the end of May/beginning of June had a permanent negative influence on the balance. The damage suffered from the destruction of completely safe cucumbers and tomatoes cost the cooperative almost 250,000 euro. The EU only compensated this damage to a maximum of 70,000 euro, as per Bliestle.
"After warnings against the consumption by politicians and government were lifted vegetables from Reichenau could, because of its positive image, quickly be sold again at a good price. But lasting effects have been negatively noticeable with almost all products" Bliestle tells. "One could say that the EHEC-crisis was the worst for horticulture since Chernobyl! Management chairman Matthias Keller declared that it is therefore of the greatest importance to work together in future with the politicians when the information stream is involved. "Someting like this should not be allowed to happen again" as per Keller.