In the case of domestic strawberries, the harvest is as small as it has been for more than 20 years. A quantity of 91,300 tons is to be expected in the fields this year, as reported by the Federal Statistical Office after representative preliminary surveys. That would be the lowest harvest since 1998, when 81,500 tons of strawberries were picked. Compared to the already weak previous year, the volume fell by another five percent. The harvest for asparagus is also likely to be lower. As with strawberries, however, the area under cultivation was further reduced.
This is one reason for the decline, explained the statisticians. Strawberries are therefore still cultivated on 9700 hectares, the smallest area since the turn of the millennium and nine percent less than last year. Another reason may be falling demand for domestically grown strawberries. Between 2016 and 2021, the average harvest was 115,600 tons. Regionally, the largest harvest is now expected in Lower Saxony with probably 25,200 tons, followed by North Rhine-Westphalia with 18,100 tons and Baden-Württemberg with 16,700 tons. The industry had reported a more restrained decrease in asparagus and strawberries. At the same time, the farmers’ association complained that domestic producers were confronted with dumping imports.