Consumers still have to wait a while for strawberries from Bavaria. Instead of sunny and warm, it will now be wet and cold. “The winter was mild and there was sufficient rainfall. So far there have been hardly any late frosts, which promotes rapid flowering and growth,” said Patrick Scharl, managing director of the Bavarian Commercial Fruit Growing Association. “However, sunny and warm spring weather is still required for optimal fruit growth and ripening.”
The 260 companies in the Free State that grow strawberries in large quantities are also waiting for this. The largest strawberry fields are in Lower Bavaria, followed by Upper Bavaria and Swabia. Another important growing area is in Lower Franconia.
With protected cultivation in a polytunnel, the first strawberries can be harvested from mid to late April. Outdoor harvesting typically begins in early to mid-May, depending on the region and weather conditions. “It is difficult to make an accurate forecast about the weather for strawberries this year,” said Scharl. An assessment of the quality is not yet possible.
In principle, freshly harvested, seasonal strawberries from the region were convincing in terms of taste, emphasized the association. The transport routes are short. Early strawberries, mostly from southern Europe, have been on sale in supermarkets for some time. The per capita consumption of strawberries in Germany is 3.5 kilograms per year.
What the Bavarian strawberries cost this year depends on the yield, the weather, the import volumes and demand – the association is not yet daring to make a prediction. According to the Association of South German Asparagus and Strawberry Growers, labor costs account for a good half of the price. For many Bavarian growers, strawberries are likely to represent an important part of their income, said Scharl. In total, strawberries are grown on around 1,800 hectares in the Free State. The areas correspond approximately to the average for the past five years.
This year, May 24th will be celebrated in Germany for the first time as “German Strawberry Day”. The association announced that there would then be regional events.