Strawberry season opens in Saxony - prices stable

The sweet red fruits can now be harvested again from the strawberry fields in Saxony. The open field season has begun. After the crisis year of 2024 with extreme frost damage, fruit growers are expecting good yields this time. A harvest volume of 1,500 tons is expected. At the same time, however, there are also concerns in the industry - the area under strawberry cultivation in Saxony continues to decline.

"The weather has not brought us any significant capers this year," said Jörg Geithel, Chairman of the Fruit Growers' Association of Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt at the opening of the season at the Seelitz fruit estate in Central Saxony. The recent cool temperatures may have delayed the ripening of the strawberries somewhat, but this will not reduce the quality and quantity.

Emerging strawberry cultivation in Saxony

The area under strawberry cultivation in Saxony continues to decline. This year, they are still being grown on 175 hectares. Last year, according to the association, it was 208 hectares, at the beginning of the 2000s it was 600 hectares or more.

Fruit growers blame several reasons for this development: rising wage and operating costs, problems with the approval of required pesticides and strong price pressure from producers in southern Europe.

Farmers are critical of an increase in the minimum wage

The farmers are critical of a possible increase in the minimum wage from the current 12.82 euros to 15 euros. "This would make us no longer competitive in Europe," said Geithel. An exception to the minimum wage for agriculture would be desirable.

Prices for local strawberries at previous year's level

At around 70 percent, the majority of Saxony's strawberries go to direct marketing and self-pickers. Consumers have to pay around 5 euros for a 500-gram bowl. According to the fruit growers' association, prices have thus remained stable compared to the previous year. Only around 30 percent of domestic strawberries are sold in supermarkets - where imports from Spain, Greece and the Netherlands dominate.