Chicory is available year-round, but is traditionally still seen as a winter product. Demand is good for this vegetable especially around the holidays. Consumption of chicory is decreasing. However, chicory nursery LOF thinks there are still plenty of opportunities for the future. More is possible especially in the field of export, according to them.
Chicory nursery LOF. is located in the Noordoostpolder in the Netherlands. A number of years ago, a new nursery was built at the location in Espel. The company is in control of the entire supply chain, from growing the taproots to selling the chicory. When I visit the company in the first week of 2017, production is in full swing. The cells have been filled and employees are busy harvesting and packing the chicory in the production hall. “We had good demand during the final months of 2016. A recovery was noticeable especially around the holidays. The market has decreased, but is still fairly good,” says Gerwin de Vries from chicory nursery LOF.
Gerwin is the third generation to be active in the family company. His father started growing chicory in the late 1970s, as an additional product at the arable farm. “Chicory was still in emergence back then, and a true winter vegetable. In the following years, cultivation was expanded significantly, and eventually it became the company’s main product,” he explains. “In 1991, the first chicory taproots were exported to Germany. Chicory was also grown in East Germany. When the Wall fell, people were looking for taproots. We seized upon this market, and it’s still very important to us nowadays. The chicory taproots are mostly sent abroad, in any case.” In 1989, the company switched to hydro cultivation, and in 2006, the wooden forcing trays were replaced by Ditom forcing trays, of which the chicory nursery also became a distributor. “These forcing trays, made entirely from plastic, are easy to clean and stackable, and have a unique water distribution system. Since we started using the Ditom forcing trays we also started growing the plants singly, which results in a cleaner and more beautiful final product, and better returns.”
Year-round chicory production from own root stock
The production and trade of the chicory taproots is an important, if not the most important, department of the company. The taproots, so-called chicory roots, are grown on a 450-hectare area, 200 of which are own production and 250 hectares are under contract. “We also do the mediation of hectares for organic cultivation,” Gerwin adds. He remarks that the soil in the Noordoostpolder is very suitable for growing chicory taproots. “The homogenous soil results in uniform taproots, and we have the facilities to irrigate. This has given us a good position on the market for chicory roots. Chicory can be grown anywhere, but the taproots cannot.” Sowing takes place from May to early June.The taproots are harvested in October and November, after which they are sorted and placed in cooling cells. For the sorting and storage of the chicory roots, the nursery also has storage in Creil, where the majority of the taproots is stored, in addition to the location in Espel. Taproots for third parties are also sorted and stored here. “In the cooling cells, the chicory roots are brought back to very low temperatures, so that they go into a kind of coma.”
This stored product is also used for the own chicory production. After the taproots have defrosted, they are placed in the forcing trays, which are then placed in dark growth chambers in which an ideal climate for the growth is created by means of water and air. After three weeks, the harvest takes place. Each root produces one head of chicory of about 125 to 175 grammes. “We produce purely on demand. We can estimate how much chicory is needed in consultation with our customers, and how much should therefore be placed in the growth chamber three weeks in advance. Of course, we will always remain dependent on the market. That means cultivation is tricky, but also challenging.” The nursery has eleven modern growth chambers with a capacity of three cells per week at its disposal. A few years ago, LOF. also started with the production of radicchio. Gerwin says it is still very much an additional product now, although he has noticed demand for radicchio is increasing. “We have an additional cell at our disposal for radicchio. This cell is also used to research a further quality improvement in the production of chicory.”
Sustainability is an important part within the management of the chicory nursery. For example, the chicory is produced completely without residues, and the nursery makes the circulation of water possible. The waste water from the growth chamber is made suitable for use by means of a reed land. For washing the forcing trays, rainwater is primarily used. The harvested chicory roots are reused as fodder. Energy is also used efficiently. Solar panels have been placed on the roof of the company for the generation of energy. The heat released by the cooling company is used for heating the cultivation cells and the company buildings.
Own sales chicory and radicchio
The chicory nursery produces between 2,000 and 2,200 tonnes of chicory and radicchio annually. For some years now LOF. has also had its own production company near Leipzig in Germany. An additional 1,200 tonnes of chicory are produced here. “This yield mostly remains on the local market. We already sold taproots to this company. The owner wanted to start focusing completely on the trade of chicory, and we therefore took over production,” Gerwin explains. Since the nursery in Espel was completely modernised in 2010, LOF. also started its own sales of chicory. The chicory is supplied to wholesalers, exporters and importers for both national and international sales. “Important destinations are countries such as Italy, Israel, the US, the UK, Austria, Spain and the Netherlands. Much chicory is eaten here. Belgium also consumes a lot of chicory, but they have plenty of their own production. For the French market, especially the sales of organic taproots is increasing. In West Germany, for example, hardly any chicory is eaten. There might be opportunities for us there.”
The consumption of chicory has been decreasing slightly in recent years. This is quite remarkable, because people are choosing healthy food more and more often. Chicory is very healthy. The vegetable is rich in folium acid and vitamins, including B1 and C, and it is low in calories as well. Chicory can also be prepared in many various ways. It can be steamed and stewed, but also cooked and stir-fried. Chicory also tastes great raw in a salad.
The chicory nursery has about 30 employees. Of those, the majority works in the production hall to set in the taproots, harvest and pack the chicory. The production work has become much less taxing ever since the new nursery came into use. Practically all actions have been automatised. LOF. offers various packaging possibilities, including five-kilogram EPS, boxes of three or five kilograms and flowpacks with one to four pieces. “We intentionally choose not to pack the chicory in scales. We don’t think this will add anything to the product’s shelf life. Because of that, we do miss some sales. Italy, for example, is a true scale-country,” Gerwin explains. For the flowpack, micro-perforated film is used, which gives the chicory a fresh appearance and extended shelf life. “The most common is the 500-gramme flowpack packaging, but most of the chicory is still offered loose in shops. We have noticed that packaged product is rising, and that is a good thing, as far as we’re concerned. The presentation of the product in flowpack is much better, which is good for sales.Perhaps even more is possible in the field of packaging. Think of mixed packs and the like. Perhaps we’ll do more with this in future.”
Informing and encouraging consumers by means of open days and grow kits
Gerwin says he closely follows the developments in the sector. He has noticed that less attention is drawn to chicory compared to other Dutch winter vegetables, such as broccoli and kale. He hopes this will change in coming years, which could possibly boost the sales of the vegetable. “We personally want to be closer to consumers as well, by organising open days, for instance. We also introduced a grow kit two years ago. We have noticed that consumers are interested in finding out where their food comes from, and want to grow their own fruit and vegetables. For example, many consumers don’t know chicory grows in the dark, or that it is 80 per cent water. With our LOF. grow kit, they can personally experience how chicory grows and how clean and healthy our product is.”
The manager from LOF. is positive about the future. As regards storage and production, the company is at maximum capacity, and he therefore does not rule out a possible expansion. He mostly sees opportunities for the chicory roots in the field of export. “Chicory can basically be grown anywhere. China, for example, is an emerging market for chicory. We therefore hope to further expand export for local productions globally. We could possibly also supply Ditom trays and perhaps even a complete production line to that end. We also see expansion opportunities for the Ditom tray trade. Many companies still use wooden forcing trays, but there will come a time when those companies will have to switch to plastic.”
