Germany is not exactly known for its greenhouse production. Despite this, the degree of self-sufficiency for important greenhouse crops has risen slowly but steadily during the past years, German website Fruchthandel.de reports.
At the 'Deutsche Obst & Gemüse Kongress' on September 18 and 19, 2014 in Düsseldorf, Dirk Matuszewski of the German 'Gartenbauzentrale' (GBZ) in Papenburg will talk about the opportunities and risks regarding sales of German greenhouse vegetables. The GBZ is one of the most important German sellers of vegetables from protected cultivation. In addition to cucumbers, culinary herbs are a key product of the organization. Since 2012, however, production of tomatoes has been taken up as well.
The summer of 2013, and development in June 2014, however, also showed that the extra cost for German produce from greenhouse production, cannot be maintained as is, when the market share increases. At wholesalers, the extra cost for German vine tomatoes decreased in a matter of weeks to less than 20%, while until recently 50% or more was often the norm.