By Sabine Klier
Goose or not at all: That’s what some customers ask themselves in view of the increased prices for St. Martin’s or Christmas gooses. If you want to bring your crispy goose to the table for the festive season this year, you have to dig deeper into your pockets!
A kilo price of between 17 and 22 euros can be expected for the Martin goose.
“For me, the fresh geese cost two euros per kilo more than last year,” says Hans-Ulrich Peters (71), geese breeder from Löhme in Brandenburg. You calculate one kilo of goose per person, which means eight euros more for four people!
Around 80,000 geese and around 2.5 million ducks are fattened in Brandenburg. The increased costs for feed, diesel, gas, electricity and rising wages are passed on to customers.
Farmer Peters raises the Dithmarschen geese. “These are the best because they’re nice and meaty,” he says. “The day-old goslings (goslings; i.e. editor) cost four euros last year, now eight euros.” They stay in the stall at 30 degrees for three weeks – he heats it with gas. “Everything more expensive this year,” he sighs.
The Dithmarschen geese enjoy a lot of exercise and fresh air in the yard Photo: Olaf Selchow
Around 2000 geese cackle day in and day out across his meadow. Farmer Peters has to feed. “Nothing gets fat from weed alone. And the feed price has also doubled.”
Lining & Energy costs more: The perfect Christmas roast is going to be quite expensive this year Photo: Alexander Raths – stock.adobe.co
He slaughters his geese himself and only sells them on his farm. Therefore high transport costs are avoided.
Farmer Peters does not fear that he will be left with his geese. “Up to now I have always had all the geese sold well. I am including my own recipe. They always succeed with that.”
How much does the goose cost?
About 80 percent of the geese are imported from Poland and Hungary and end up in the freezers of the supermarkets. At Rewe, one kilogram of Polish goose breast costs 17.99 euros.
If you want to order the goose ready-prepared, you have to pay more: At “Gans to go”, a goose with side dishes for four people costs 169 euros (pick it up yourself). The “Scheune” restaurant (Eichkampstraße 155) offers the goose without side dishes for four people for 123.50 euros.
In Restaurant 1811 (Schlueterstraße 55), the free range roast goose costs a whopping 45 euros (portioned) per person. In the Ebert restaurant (Eisenzahnstraße 59), the Martinsgans district costs 39 euros.