Information from Taspo claims that “at the end of May, more than twenty domestic fruit and vegetable producers terminated their contract with Landgard Obst & Gemüse Ltd & Co., effective December 31, 2021.” According to the report, around €95 million in German producer sales will be lost, which would correspond to circa 80 hectares of greenhouse and circa 1,500 hectares of open field production.
Of the approximately €750 million in sales that Landgard generates annually, around 175 million are attributable to the local production of fruit and vegetables. The remaining turnover would come primarily from commercial transactions.
Also members of the supervisory board and the cooperative
“Growers who have quit include tomato, cucumber, bell pepper, strawberry and eggplant growers, as well as the largest free-range farms. Among them are said to be members of the current supervisory board and the fruit and vegetable advisory board, as well as members with decades of cooperative involvement,” Taspo reports.
The dismissals are to be understood as consequence of the continuous criticism of the producers at Landgard. “According to the information, the criticism of these producers is directed above all against a certain person, who disregarded the cooperative values. The Landgard company is too cost-intensive and too cumbersome.
Reform within the producer cooperative
The farms are considering reforming the producer cooperative or even founding a new producer organization. The supply of products from Germany should not be interrupted by this, but should also be possible in the future.
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