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+ 2,8% to September 2002
As reported by the Federal Statistical Office, wholesale sales in Germany in September 2002 nominally (at current prices) 0,3% less and real (at constant prices) 0,2% more than in September 2001. After calendar and seasonal adjustment of the data, 0,3% less was sold in nominal and real terms than in August 2002. In the first nine months of 2002 there was nominally 4,4% and real 3,4% less than in the same period of the previous year.
In September 2002, three sectors of the wholesale trade recorded higher sales in nominal and real terms than in September 2001: wholesale of durable and non-durable goods (nominal + 4,8%, real + 6,1%), wholesale of food, beverages and tobacco products ( nominal + 4,4%, real + 4,1%) and the wholesale of machines, equipment and accessories (nominal + 3,5%, real + 5,9%). In contrast, the wholesale trade in raw materials, semi-finished goods, scrap and residual materials (nominal - 5,1%, real - 5,9%) and the wholesale trade in agricultural raw materials and live animals (nominal - 11,5%, real - 10,5%) had to lose sales %) accept.
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Bread market; Baker; United bakers
The German wholesale bakeries will continue to keep their quality promise, even though the costs have increased enormously in many areas. "However, we do not know how long we can still achieve the balancing act between increasing consumer price sensitivity and simultaneously rising costs," said Hubert Zimmermann, President of the Association of German Bakeries.
Above all, the use of high-quality raw materials such as wheat and rye flour has increased significantly, the association announces at its annual press conference on the 30. October in Dusseldorf.
The association is now campaigning with consumers for the insight that high-quality baked goods also need fair prices, so that the recognized high quality of German art of baking remains guaranteed in the future. The prices for bread and baked goods in European neighboring countries such as Austria, France or Italy are 10 to 15 percent above the prices in Germany.
Currently, the industry is exposed to unprecedented cost pressures. In addition to the increased costs for raw materials, higher prices are expected for energy prices and packaging. Already, logistics costs have increased by 5 percent so that the roughly 30.000 supermarkets in Germany can be supplied with fresh baked goods every day.
Should the tension between increasing consumer price sensitivity and unabated cost pressures persist, the association expects an increasing concentration process and additional bankruptcies. Already, more than three companies close the day, and medium-sized companies are now giving up. "This development will mean that companies will no longer have the resources they need to secure employment, process the best ingredients, and invest in new developments. In addition, this trend destroys a balanced producer structure, "says Hubert Zimmermann.
Losers of such a scenario would ultimately be consumers. Because the large bakeries ensure quality and innovation for an indispensable staple food. Bread is recommended by Nutritionists as the foundation of any balanced diet to promote health and fitness. "If the Germans were to eat two more slices of bread a day, this would be a major contribution to reducing the number of nutrition-related common diseases," said Hubert Zimmermann, President of the Association.
The Association of Large German Bakeries brings together companies that supply the food retailers with bread and baked goods as well as larger branch bakeries. They bake fresh daily around 5,5 million loaves and 28 million rolls.
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Discovered by Mexican shamans
The common disease diabetes can be effectively treated with a herbal remedy. In the Mexican highlands, shamans have long been using a special healing water to lower blood sugar. The Bonn scientist Helmut Wiedenfeld has now confirmed the effect of the herbal remedy and wants to bring it as a drug on the local market. NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC reports in the November issue (EVT 27.10.2003).
The Mexican shamans call the remedy "Agua de uso" the medicine they prescribe to their patients with so-called "sweet blood". Behind it hides a mixture of water and extracts of medicinal plants, such as the aster family Chromolaena. An employee of the team around Wiedenfeld found out during his stay in Mexico that the special preparation of the healing water is crucial: The shamans put the plant with corn and leave this mixture for some time. Enzymes then break down the ingredients of the plant. One of the resulting parts lowers the blood sugar. Wiedenfeld has now managed to dry the agent and to fill the powder in capsules. When the remedy will be available as a drug in pharmacies, is not fixed yet.
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Finally the time has come! At the 30 October 2003, Europe's most modern salad processing plant opened its doors in Straelen (district of Kleve, North Rhine-Westphalia). In cooperation with NBV / UGA (Niederrheinische Blumenvermarktung / Union horticultural sales markets), Bonduelle Frische GmbH has found here on the Lower Rhine an ideal location for its new production facility. Over the years, the 16.000 Resident City of Straelen has developed from a monostructural orientation to a commercial and service location, but remains faithful to its reputation as a flower and garden city. This is an important factor that makes the location so attractive for Bonduelle Frische GmbH: The surrounding area offers a high potential of raw materials, which enables short delivery routes and thus also fast processing of the goods.
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Meat marketing in transition
The cooperative meat marketers are preparing for a rapidly increasing demand for self-service fresh meat and convenience products. Fine cutting and the expansion of self-service meat production determine the future structures on a food market characterized by international trading companies. This increases the concentration on a few but always deliverable producers who inevitably have to be of a certain size. The participants of the 14th symposium for the cooperative livestock and meat industry on 28/29 discussed possible ways to become a full-range supplier and service provider for the food trade. October in Lahnstein.
At the beginning of the event, Raiffeisen President Manfred Nüssel criticized the agricultural policy framework that is to be changed in the course of the EU agricultural reform. In the current discussions about the national implementation, the companies are missing market policy aspects and above all a thorough analysis of the effects on the sales markets. Should there be a complete decoupling of producer premiums from 2005, beef production in Germany will fall drastically in the medium term.
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New CMA / ZMP market study on consumption during the week
At the weekend, breakfast is extensively served in Germany. The boiled egg may not be missing on Sunday at over 20 percent of respondents on the breakfast table. In general, the day of the week clearly determines which meals are consumed where and what is on the plate or in the glass. This is shown by the results of the new representative study "Consumption Behavior in the Weekly Course" by the CMA Centrale Marketing-Gesellschaft der deutschen Agrarwirtschaft mbH and the ZMP Zentrale Markt- und Preisberichtstelle GmbH.
The study sheds light on the relationships between eating and drinking habits and the individual days of the week and, in particular, highlights the differences at the weekend. The three main meals Breakfast, lunch and dinner are still playing a major role for the Germans. But from Monday to Friday it has to be quick and easy. At the weekend, however, respondents spend more time eating. Especially the dinner on the weekend you enjoy happy in a social group with friends and acquaintances. Also in the restaurant then prevails in comparison to the working days high activity. Particularly noticeable, if not unexpected, is the increase in alcoholic beverages on the weekend: from Friday to Sunday, consumption is growing by almost a third. This is mainly due to the evening meals, which are taken outside the home. Also the snacks are gaining in importance. Here, however, a different picture is emerging: The small snack in the morning finds most weekdays most friends. This is explained by the fact that this meal is especially important for eating in the workplace. The snack in the afternoon is again very popular on weekends. Especially on Saturday and Sunday you have some free time for coffee and cake. The study is based on an evaluation of some 48.000 interviews conducted from July 1999 to June 2003 as part of the Consumption and Convenience Monitor (VeCoM). With daily telephone interviews, this method is used to query the complete consumption of food and drinks on the day before the survey with Germans from 14 years ago.
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EISfOM to improve data availability in organic farming in Europe
The European market for products from organic farming continues to grow. It is estimated that currently accounts 4 percent of agricultural production in the EU organic farming, but are data on production, sales and marketing has not yet been comprehensively and systematically collected. The European Union therefore funded the new project EISfOM which is to develop 2005 proposals by the year, such as access to production and market data in organic farming in Europe can be improved.
EISfOM stands for "European Information System for Organic Markets". The CMA Central Marketing Organization of German Agricultural Industries support this European project, which is managed in Germany by the ZMP Central Market and Price Reporting Office GmbH. "We expect this network more transparency and information to coordinate our measures for the marketing of organic products on the German and European market even more effectively," explains Karsten Ziebell, who has been with the CMA is responsible for the "Marketing Organic Farming". "At the moment, each country collects the data differently and many important information is missing completely," says the European project leader Dr Nic Lampkin from the Institute for Rural Areas at the University of Wales. The project team with partners from Denmark, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Austria, Poland and Switzerland to bring a coordinated process of data collection and processing in transition. "The close collaboration with the regional, national and European authorities, who are responsible for data collection in this area is to bring us a good step forward," says Markus Rippin of ZMP.
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In Italy decline after years of continuous growth for the first time the production and consumption of organic food, while imports of organically produced goods increase. According to the farmers' association Coldiretti, the number of organic farms, the organically farmed agricultural land went in 2002 8,9 to percent to 5,6 per cent and sales of packaged organic products at retail to 1,6 percent.
The number of importers is in contrast increased by 27 percent compared to last year. Given these first signals a stagnant market, it is necessary in the opinion of Coldiretti, to take action to support a recovery in production and the market. This included a stricter traceability by means of a proper designation of the region of origin, as well as in the organic sector a high growth of imports from non-EU countries was recorded. These products were produced under circumstances specifications to those of the EU "equal" are not always.
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Slaughter at a high level
Still in Germany noticeably more pigs are slaughtered than a year ago. From January to mid-October 2003 fell a week to almost 665.000 animals for slaughter and thus about five percent more than the weekly average of the year 2002.
Probably the pigs offer in Germany remains large in the coming months. Based on the results of the latest livestock census was expected for the last quarter 2003 date with an amount which is slightly below the previous year's figure.
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Everything has to packaging
From April 2004 the new GM labeling in force: all food and feed containing GMOs, consisting of or produced must be labeled. The relevant EU regulations have been on 18. October published in the EU Official Journal. The marking is also necessary if the genetically modified ingredients are no longer included in the food, for. Example, when glucose syrup from genetically modified maize. Consumers can find on the package then the warning 'contains genetically modified .... "or" contains from genetically modified ... [eg., Corn] made .... [eg., Glucose syrup] ". Until now, genetically modified ingredients are only in when the change is detected by analysis.
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Danes expanding
The leading Danish pig and cattle slaughterhouse Danish Crown wants to take several slaughterhouses in Germany, Sweden and the United Kingdom in the future. In order for the Cooperative Group intends to respond to the desire "large international supermarket chains" who want reportedly refer Danish Crown meat from producers in their respective home countries. of this announcement in September relative surprisingly, the deputy CEO of Danish Crown.
Even in mid-August, Danish Crown had announced a new strategic plan for the three-year period 2003 / 04 to 2005 / 06, which provided only the acquisition of several meat product establishments in the three neighboring countries mentioned and in the Central and Eastern European candidate countries. According to the latest statements of thousands of foreign pig producers should provide their animals to new slaughterhouses Danish Crown in the future.
