New Year’s Eve is also the time of the four-leaf clover. The market for the four-leaf sorrel is firmly in the hands of large foreign producers, for example from Denmark or the Netherlands. The resulting price war is also the main reason why there are only “a handful” of happy clover growers in Austria, according to the Austrian Flower Council.
It is difficult for domestic companies to “hold the price” in this temporary niche market, especially since lucky clover “cannot be produced in large quantities in Austria due to its size,” explains Nada Bakajlic of the Austrian Flower Council.
Supermarket chains and wholesalers also played an important role in this complex of topics: “They usually buy cheaply abroad and also determine the pricing for Austrian manufacturers”.
Factor high energy costs
For this reason and because of the currently very high energy costs, it does not really pay for Austrian clover growers to produce and participate in the competitive market. Instead, one would rely on “innovations”, for example producing lucky clover in higher quality or on an organic basis.
Tiroler Gärtnerei is the only one that produces organic lucky clover
The latter is currently only done in this country by the organic nursery Seidemann. The director of the nursery in the Innsbruck region around Fiè, Erwin Seidemann, saw this organic focus as both an opportunity and a challenge. “Unlike other lucky clover markets, this segment is not competitive,” he stressed. At the same time, this decision has also resulted in the company no longer supplying wholesale this year: “We only sell our products locally”.
Lack of customer awareness
For Seidemann, too, one of the fundamental problems lies with the supermarket chains: “Actually, the large market there has completely migrated.” These chains are also very useful for the convenience of customers: “You can buy other good luck charms in the supermarket, for example, and then just take the four-leaf clover with you”. In addition, some customers simply lack awareness, as many do not know whether they have organic lucky clover or conventional lucky clover, Seidemann said.
Organic lucky clover without chemical treatment
All in all, about 4000 units were produced this year. “Our organic lucky clovers have not been chemically treated and also have more space than conventional lucky clovers,” emphasizes the director. The organic quality has another advantage: “Our lucky clover also ends up on the plate in the catering industry.” There it is of course a great advantage if the clover is untreated.
The lucky clover offered, a cultural clover, has little in common with the well-known clover in the meadow. It naturally has four leaves, which otherwise only occur as a mutation in the native clover species. In any case, holding the otherwise very rare four-leaf specimen in your hand would bring good luck. Especially on New Year’s Eve.
Source: Krone
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
