In 2007, the company TB&S began growing pointed cabbage in Portugal. Eighteen years later, the North Holland outdoor vegetable growers are still pleased with that decision. "This has made us an important partner for German and Scandinavian retailers, particularly during the winter months," says Coen Swager. As a backup, the company also cultivates organic pointed cabbage and purple pointed cabbage (Violetti) in Spain. "With the changing climate, spreading risks is essential. Last year, we were dealing with wet conditions in the Netherlands, while now we are having to irrigate. This year, Portugal and Spain received quite a lot of rain, which disrupted our planting schedule heading into the summer months. Every year brings something different."
The acreage at TB&S has remained largely unchanged this year. At the farm in Portugal, they are growing slightly fewer bottle pumpkins and a few more watermelons, but all production remains destined for the Portuguese and Spanish markets. The Portuguese import season for pointed cabbage and Violetti is now in full swing. "Thanks to the good weather, the pointed cabbage grew faster than usual. As a result, the product had a slightly lighter structure at the start. Those batches have now all been processed, and we are back to the traditional good batches," says the grower. TB&S will continue receiving pointed cabbage from Portugal until week 22.
"Demand for pointed cabbage has been moderate recently. Spain and Portugal both had abundant supplies, which led to significant market availability. However, we are seeing slightly more demand for the purple pointed cabbage, Violetti, from the UK, due to a shortage of red and pink cabbage," says the grower. In the Netherlands, the start of the season is very different from last year. "Back then, soil structure was very poor. Now, operations on the land are much easier to carry out. We are well-positioned to manage drought, as an irrigation ban is unlikely in this area. In contrast, we can do very little against excessive wetness."
"Here in the Netherlands, our biggest challenge is the availability of good soil. The first Chinese cabbage, pak choi, pointed cabbage, and Violetti under canvas on the Dutch sandy soils are growing well. Today, we are starting to harvest the first pak choi," says Coen. For now, sales of the purple pointed cabbage, Violetti, are mainly focused on slicers and Scandinavian retail. "In the Netherlands, we hope to organize a nice promotion with a major customer towards Christmas. Hopefully, this will further raise awareness of this truly unique product that combines the characteristics of red cabbage with those of traditional white pointed cabbage."
For more information:
Coen Swager
TB&S
Vronermeerweg 1
1834 AX Sint Pancras
Tel: +31 (0) 6 53 49 84 60
[email protected]
www.spit skool.com
www.violetti.nl