Austria's Brussels Sprouts Disappear as Last Grower Quits Amid Pest Crisis

Brussels sprouts from Austria have almost vanished from supermarket shelves. The country's last professional grower halted production last year, leaving shoppers with imported options. Dutch and Belgian supplies now dominate store displays instead.

Austria's Brussels sprout output dropped sharply in recent years. Last year, farmers harvested just 293 tons—a 60% fall from the previous season. The decline follows a broader trend, with total cabbage production slipping over the past five years.

The main reason for the collapse was pest pressure. Cabbage whitefly and aphids repeatedly damaged crops, leaving growers with few solutions. Despite EU-approved treatments like Bio Plantella Arion (an iron phosphate-based product) being available, farmers found them insufficient. Without reliable protection, the last commercial producer abandoned the crop entirely.

Shoppers can still find Austrian-grown sprouts through direct sales. Robert Brodnjak's Krautwerk farm in Großmugel, Lower Austria, offers organic varieties at Vienna's Karmelitermarkt. His operation is one of the few still cultivating the vegetable alongside other brassicas. Meanwhile, cabbage farming continues across all nine federal states, with Upper Austria leading production and Vorarlberg contributing the least.

The loss of local Brussels sprouts means supermarkets now rely on imports from the Netherlands and Belgium. Direct markets remain the only source for Austrian-grown varieties. Without improved pest control, a return to large-scale domestic production seems unlikely.