The price of strawberries from Germany has risen by almost 70 per cent over the past ten years. While a kilogram of domestic strawberries cost EUR 3.94 in 2015, it was EUR 6.65 last year, according to Agrarmarkt Informations-Gesellschaft. This is a price increase of 68.8 per cent. The figures for the current season are not yet available, but prices will also tend to be higher in 2025 than in the previous year, said market analyst Eva Würtenberger.
Labour costs are the biggest price driver
A key factor is the minimum wage, says the Association of South German Asparagus and Strawberry Growers (VSSE). "We started with a minimum wage of EUR 8.50 and are now at EUR 12.82," explains Simon Schumacher from VSSE. That is an "immense" increase. Up to 60 per cent of production costs are accounted for by wages, as strawberries are still harvested by hand.
This development is forcing many farms to retreat: since 2015, the number of strawberry growers has fallen by a good 24 per cent. The area under cultivation has fallen by over 28 per cent, and the harvest volume by as much as 30 per cent.
