Why has there been a shortage of Czech vegetables in recent years?
We spoke to Josef Buchal, a farmer to whom buyers from Eska and other Ambiente businesses regularly go for fresh vegetables. We meet at the Prague market in Holešovice. "Hall 22, stand 21-22, at the very back," he directs me. When we settle on the neighbouring grower's bench ("it's fashionable to say farmer nowadays, but we consider ourselves more like landworkers or growers," Mr. Buchal remarks), I learn that the Buchals have been coming here to sell vegetables for 22 years.
"My father handed it all down to me when I was eighteen. I vaguely remember how we used to come here to sell gardeners' surplus before the revolution," says the 40-year-old man. He proudly points out that he is already the third generation in their family to be involved in farming on their own land. The question is, however, how things will be in a few years' time - and here we can follow up with a list of (rather worrying) reasons why there have been 'few Czech vegetables' in recent years:
1. Reason: subsidies set for big players
Take a guess: how big is the average farm in the Czech Republic? 133 hectares, the largest in the whole European Union. Huge tracts of farmland, the largest in the world, are occupied by farms run by managers, not family farms. In this respect, too, our country stands out. "Subsidies are set for growers who farm 150 hectares or more, and everything depends on that," says Josef Buchal, noting that even his farm, with "only" 128 hectares, falls into the "small farmers" category in the eyes of officials.
2. Reason: the standard is elsewhere
How do you think such a huge farm manages? No, it doesn't really grow 150 different crops on those 150 hectares, pretty much every hectare is a different species. "The law forbids growing only one crop on large areas, so the common practice is to grow three: corn, maize and rape," explains the experienced grower.
It's simple, efficient and financially rewarding all round: the crop is harvested by a few workers with combines and so on, instead of hiring dozens of seasonal workers (which is no joke these days, because no one is into it). But the consequences are immeasurable in several ways. "In particular rapeseed depletes the soil, It also has to be treated with sprays, which certainly do not help the ecosystem," says Josef Buchal.
In order to make a living, even smaller farmers agree to work on a part (usually the larger, essential part) of the of land to grow crops for large holdings and unwittingly jump on the merry-go-round. Although the "well-known company" guarantees to buy the entire crop of rape, etc., the price is that the farmer is "obliged" to buy the seed and the required sprays, and often the necessary agricultural machinery. The company then does not even send them the money for the crop, instead it just takes the appropriate amount from the lease of the combine harvester or tractor.
This largesse (and convenience) has literally devastating consequences. Not only on the younger generation, who see that "it's easy", and therefore why stay toiling in the fields from morning till night, but also on the whole ecosystem. "Our neighbours, whether it is Germany, Austria or Hungary, also have hundreds of thousands of small farmers with smaller plots of land, and they grow a different crop on each one. This means not only greater self-sufficiency, but also, for example, that animals that seek natural shelter in the fields can escape to safety during the harvest.
Hundreds of roe deer are dying unnecessarily in our country - it is not in their power to escape from the large machines that are necessary to harvest the huge fields," adds Josef Buchal with a sad example. Game is also a source of crop damage. "The animals have no choice. If they lived in an area where many different crops are grown, they'd eat a little of each. This way, it has no choice but to destroy only maize, as is the case with wild boars," he adds.
3. Reason: not enough family farms
There are 10.8 million farms in the EU. Romania alone has 3.6 million of them (Italy, Poland, Luxembourg, Finland and the UK also have a very large number) - whereas the Czech Republic has "only" 26,000. Whereas in Poland, 90 percent of agricultural work is done by families, only 25.8 per cent of family members work on farms in the Czech Republic. That disproportion explains a lot, doesn't it? The consequences are fatal: old growers are dying out and have no one to pass on their skills to, because there are simply no new, young entrants.
4. Reason: not enough money, lots of work
Why is interest in farming still declining, especially among young people? Lenka Křížová, farm manager at Olešnásays: "It's physically and time-consuming work that is not always sufficiently financially rewarded. I also see the problem in the worse social status of people working in agriculture, which is mostly taken over from past times." Crops don't really ask if they are allowed to ripen now, or would you rather have it in two weeks, after the deadline, or after a family holiday.
That's the one farmers don't even think about it in season. "I get up at 4 a.m. every day, and even at 2:30 a.m. if I'm delivering to the Old Town in Prague. You often leave the fields after dark. From April to November, it's one crop after another - going to the beach with the children during the holidays is out of the question," says Josef Bouchal, father of a four-year-old daughter and an eleven-year-old son. "And we haven't had farm animals since 2000 - I tip my hat to those who keep them."
5. Reason: administration and controls
Strongly discouraging, especially for older people. "You have to keep an eye on what has changed in the directives and how to make it work to get at least some subsidies, when the system is already set up for giant companies," explains Josef Buchal, noting that he would think it fair if the rules were uniform across the EU. And so often they were not changed - and people were not constantly stressed by the threat of checks and sanctions.
"Even here in the market I can see what just the EET has done. Older and experienced farmers get lost in the directives and requirements. They could talk to you all evening about cauliflower, but all the paperwork makes their heads spin," he says sympathetically. The consequence? People give up and prefer to sell or rent land to the big players. And they won't really grow cabbage and kale there anymore. In addition, the de facto buyouts for small growers, which used to motivate people (also) to produce their own, no longer work.
6. Reason: children and young people are not going into farming
Money and prestige have already been mentioned. But the whole thing is a vicious circle: since we have there are few small family farms and most people work in other areas, a young person who 'wants to be a greengrocer' or a breeder looks a bit... exotic. "In Austria, for example, where even someone who farms ten hectares is considered a Pan farmer, people are proud of their family tradition. There is certainly no shame in working in agriculture - quite the opposite!" says Josef Buchal.
And his children? His son knows how to drive a tractor and enjoys it, but when he sees family members and temporary workers hunched over ripening cucumbers from morning to night, he says "why don't you sow some rape, Dad? You'll harvest it in two days and you'll be fine". Hm.
7. Reason: the transmission from generation to generation doesn't work
Let's move from producer to consumer. How do you make currant preserves? Or how many ways can you process rhubarb? What about your mother, and grandmother? Maybe it's different in your family, but Josef Buchal often witnesses young people - the generation in their twenties - just standing around helplessly over fruit and vegetables.
"They can eat them raw, but that's it. The times are hectic, people have got used to buying everything in the markets, most of them can't even jar pickles," he thinks. Children today choose bananas and tangerines rather than cherries and plums. They often cannot even name traditional Czech crops.
"When I was a kid, we couldn't wait for the cherries to ripen, and many times we would pluck them off the trees while they were still half pink. Kids today don't know that kind of excitement and that's a shame," he adds. And another thing: yes, after a period of "disfavour" in the 1990s, when there was a hunger for everything new and Western, Czech vegetables are back in the limelight - but customers are extremely strict with them. "They demand that it be as 'polished' as the ones from the markets, or look even better. Of course we wash it, especially after the rain, but it happens that a bit of soil remains on it. And that's what one often hears..." waves Josef Buchal's hand.
People simply lose the realistic idea of what growing crops entails, and that it takes time. "Even older people often lose the concept. In March, we are glad that the ground is thawing and we can slowly start planting, and then a grandmother comes to my stall and wonders why we don't have cherries, when the sun is shining and she bought strawberries for her grandchildren at the shop yesterday," he gives another example.
8. Reason: traders dictate conditions
Potatoes are exclusively 5 to 6 centimetres, courgettes 20 cm or more, cauliflowers '6 to a box'. This is often the demand of buyers, especially large ones. If the grower is dependent on them and does not, for example, sell from the yard or go to the market or market stall, then oversized and undersized crops are simply 'on the chopping block'. Fruit and vegetables that are perfectly fine, but just didn't fit on someone's charts, often end up in the compost heap.
"Individual customers, on the other hand, often welcome 'non-standard' produce. Some people cook just for themselves, others have large families or are planning a party. Restaurant buyers are also usually indifferent to the size or shape of the vegetables; freshness and quality are essential. If everyone thought like this, we would be somewhere else," concludes Josef Buchal.
What to do?
Isn't it absurd, on the one hand, to search for good Czech vegetables and on the other to throw them away? In the long run, only consistent "education", aimed especially at the youngest, even the smallest ones, will help. Olešná farm has started to address this here and now.
"This year, for the first time, we have an agreement that the veg box company Fresh will take all our produce. Of course, there is always about 10-15% that has to be thrown away, despite all our efforts," admits Lenka Křížová, the farm's head.
"In previous years we had a problem with taking substandard vegetables. However, most of them were conventional wholesalers, which have standards set for the same type of vegetables from Dutch greenhouses and do not accept any others. This year, however, together with Ambiente, we will start a project to process all non-standard or 'double' production. Our joint vision is that these vegetables will be processed directly on our farm after being picked in the foil. This will eliminate long-distance transport and the associated risk of damage."
As Lenka Křížová points out, it is "twin production" that tends to be full of the best, concentrated flavour. "For example, tomatoes at the right ripeness are packed with true tomato flavour, but they are already soft and therefore unsuitable for transport and sale in the store. So the ideal product for salsa, sauces, chutneys..." she hints at the direction the joint project will take.
Vegetables from the Kingdom
The Kingdom is the area between Český Brod and Cologne. This is where the Buchals have been farming for the third generation: a father, two sons and other members of the family clan. "After 1990, when my father got his land back, we added vegetables and potatoes to our grain production. Our main crops are potatoes, onions, cabbage and garlic, and we also grow cabbage, red cabbage and, of course, seasonal crops such as strawberries and cherries," says Josef Buchal.
He is also active in the ARZ organisation, which brings together regional producers. "If I don't have the whole range, I supplement it with products from other growers, and they in turn take potatoes from me. We help each other and complement each other. This is also a way to improve the situation," he says.
