According to Torben Sander, sales manager at Neuenkirchener Heidekartoffel Handelsgesellschaft, wholesale trade in January is generally quieter than usual. “Sales to school cafeterias and community lunches continue to be strong, but slower than in spring and summer. Still, staple foods like potatoes and onions are always needed. The months have been too wet and many crops have been damaged.” Red onions are currently in high demand due to a huge shortage. Fortunately, you can rely on a variety of producers throughout Germany for this product. So supply is not a problem. However, the price of red onions has increased at least 50% more than in recent years. ”
Managing Director René Riggers and Sales Manager Torben Sander (right) at the Hamburg Wholesale Market stand.
Large diameter shortages – prices steadily rising
NH currently sells both German and Spanish yellow onions, but the milder Spanish variety is more popular. “However, the prices for both products are very high, which is also due to the low yields. Larger calibers of 70 and above are in demand at wholesale, while calibers from 35 to 50 mm are purchased at retail and at home. But , we just don’t have enough bigger onions. Many companies in Spain don’t want to sell onions yet because they’re waiting for the price to go up. That’s why the price is currently rising steadily. Also, prices are going up because transportation costs always go up in the lead up to Christmas. “At this time of year, we get a lot of citrus from Spain. Usually after Christmas, prices go down again, but this year That’s not the case. Prices keep rising.” Prices are around 25kg/25€ for sale.
Business year 2023 will be strong overall
Christmas business isn’t as big as it was about 10 years ago. “Customers were not buying as carefully as they are today. Christmas parties are still held, but not on a large scale. Sales can be generated through Christmas markets, but they are hardly noticeable in the overall balance. Overall, we had a good year as expected. The summer was strong, but the winter was not so strong. We are satisfied.” The company also sells shallots sourced from France. “Compared to onions, shallots are like a by-product. There is interest, but the sales volume is not as high as onions.”
Potato prices favorable for producers and traders
Looking back, our mainstay product, potatoes, also had a very strong year. “Our farmers earned a good income on potatoes in 2023. This will also be the case in 2024. The price structure is such that both the farmers and we can earn a decent profit on potatoes. It is also important for us to agree on a fair settlement with our farmers. ” Most of the potatoes are sourced by wholesale companies from Lüneburger Heide, Lower Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein. “Our customers are as far as Denmark and some even on the Polish border. We have a production business and work with farmers who grow potatoes on a large scale, so we do not receive imports or products from other regions. is not dependent on the product.”
It’s worth noting that we’ve made “incredibly big strides” with peeled potatoes. “On the one hand, this is because we are strongly represented in communal catering. On the other hand, many customers who used to buy a bag of potatoes are now increasingly buying peeled products. It is also due to the fact that, after all, ”
Potato cultivation is carried out in 90-95% of the Yurzen region. Goods are also processed directly there. “Production is highly sustainable due to relatively short transport routes and extensive storage facilities on site. This provides a centralized logistics system that allows goods to be distributed throughout Germany, including Berlin, Hannover and Hamburg. It will be done.”
For more information:
Torben Sander
Neuenkirchener Heidekartoffel Handelsgesellschaft mbH
Hamburg Wholesale Market, Gang B – Stand 63-66
Banks Street 28
20097 Hamburg
Phone: +49 (0) 40 – 33 51 98
Fax: +49 (0) 40 – 32 44 18
bestellung@dienh.de
https://die-nh.de