German loads clearly dominated the wholesale markets: outdoor strawberries were sometimes too small and did not always taste very good. Loads from protected cultivation were more impressive in terms of color, aroma, and size. A fairly wide price range established itself in some places. Overall, however, prices tended to fall rather than rise. According to the BLE, the product range was mainly supplemented by Dutch and Polish deliveries. These left little to be desired in terms of quality, so sales were relatively smooth. Loads from Belgium, Poland, and Italy were mainly used to supplement the range. Their prices often climbed slightly due to the volume.
Schleswig-Holstein: Cold temperatures delay fruit ripening
There are currently fewer strawberries from Schleswig-Holstein than usual at this time of year. According to a spokesperson for the State Farmers' Association, this is due to the weather in recent weeks and the frost at the end of April and beginning of May. At that time, the first flowers fell victim to the frost. These would normally have ripened by this time and are now missing from the harvest. In addition, the cold temperatures of recent weeks have delayed fruit ripening.
Baden-Württemberg/Bavaria: 'The phase of favorable strawberry prices is already over'
According to Simon Schumacher from the Association of South German Asparagus and Strawberry Growers (VSSE), the weather played a decisive role. Before Pentecost, it rained almost every day for a week and a half, which led to a particularly high harvest. This oversupply pushed prices down. But the heavy rain also had disadvantages: the strawberries became softer and had a shorter shelf life. To sell the fruit quickly, supermarkets attracted customers with low prices. But the phase of low strawberry prices is already over. According to Bernd Ohlmann from the Handelsverband Bayern e. V., two-thirds of the fields in Germany have already been harvested. The supply of domestic strawberries is thus declining, while demand remains consistently high. Experts therefore expect prices to rise again.
This year, strawberries are ripening a week later than planned. The reason is the cold weather, including night frost in May, and the general dryness since winter, reports producer Werner Ippisch (Erding).
Rhineland-Palatinate: Lower yields, low prices
Strawberries are currently relatively cheap in the Western Palatinate. But there is a catch. The weather is currently causing problems for producers. First it was too dry in the spring, then it was too wet the whole time. Now the heat has been added to the mix over the weekend. All of this is causing the strawberries to become mushy and "we're finding more jam than strawberries in the fields," says Rebecca Funck from Erdbeerland Ernst & Funck in Eisenberg. "Mixed," she replies when asked how the strawberry season has been since the end of May. The harvest on her three open-air fields has been significantly lower than expected.
Thuringia/Brandenburg: Prices per kilo in direct sales at around EUR 10/kg
The strawberry harvest began at Kromsdorf at the end of May. On a 5-hectare field, the largest strawberry field in the Weimar region, the fruit can be self-picked for EUR 8 per kilogram. That is a saving of EUR 2 compared to the fruit baskets of already harvested strawberries sold by the Weimar Kromsdorf producers' cooperative. Prices are currently similar in the neighboring state of Brandenburg.
On the German-Polish border, strawberries of Polish origin are currently being sold for five to six euros per kilogram. 500 grams are already available for 2.50 euros. However, people are not really satisfied with the quality of the produce. The weather is not ideal for strawberries, say farmers. Rain, humidity, and cold nights have taken their toll on the fruit.
Saxony-Anhalt: Rising prices per kilo worry producers
In some places in Saxony-Anhalt, strawberries are currently pricier than ever before. At the Gummert strawberry farm in Erxleben, a kilo now costs EUR 12.40. The biggest cost driver is the minimum wage. In purely mathematical terms, prices would have to be raised to EUR 14/kg in the future, but owner Dieter Gummert fears that this would be disastrous for sales.
Hesse: Over a third of strawberries come from protected cultivation
The area under protected cultivation for strawberries in Hesse, i.e., in greenhouses or under comparable "high walk-in protective covers," expanded to 175 hectares in 2024. In Hesse, 47 farms used this cultivation method and harvested around 2,650 tons of strawberries. This means that they produced more than a third (39 percent) of the total strawberry harvest on only about 23 percent of the total cultivation area.
Saxony: Storms destroy parts of the harvest
On the outskirts of Dresden, thousands of strawberries were dumped on a field next door. Managing Director Carmen Kaps from the Fruit Growers' Association of Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt told the local newspaper that after hailstorms and rain, the strawberries grown by farmers in Borthen (Saxon Switzerland-Osterzgebirge district) were no longer saleable. There has been severe weather in Saxony over the past few weeks.