Strawberry Season Kicks Off in Thuringia, But Challenges Loom for Growers
Strawberries successfully picked in Thuringia for the first time - Strawberries successfully picked for the first time in Thuringia
Let's dive into the juicy details of Thuringia's strawberry season! After a long winter, the fruit farms in Thuringia are once again blooming with red, luscious berries. But this year, the season has begun with sunny skies but chilly temperatures.
According to the Thuringian Ministry of Agriculture, around 16 growers on roughly 141 hectares of land are busy harvesting the sweet stuff. However, around 54 hectares of new plantings are still too young to bear fruit this year, meaning Thuringia accounts for only about one percent of the total German strawberry harvest area. Last year, the region produced around 673 tonnes of strawberries.
But don't let the sunshine fool you – the road to strawberry season is fraught with challenges. Marcus Malsch, the Agriculture State Secretary, recently pointed out the difficulties facing growers, including higher production costs and increased competition within Europe. Despite cutting production in recent years, strawberries remain a popular crop in Thuringian fruit and vegetable production.
"The rising minimum wage poses a significant challenge for a crop that can only be harvested by hand," Malsch said. Many growers are adopting more intensive production methods, such as growing strawberries under foil, or extending the supply period by cultivating them for longer.
Tough Times for Farmers
It's not just strawberries that are feeling the heat. According to the ministry, the cultivation area for sweet fruits in Germany has been decreasing since 2015. In Thuringia, the yield of open-field strawberries has dropped by 62 percent in that timeframe. While the production of strawberries under protected cultivation, such as under foil or in greenhouses, has increased, it hasn't been enough to counteract the overall decline.
One of the largest strawberry producers in Thuringia is based in Gebesee, growing both open-field and foil-covered strawberries. For this year's harvest, around 90 full-time workers will be needed. The fruits will be sold at supermarkets, as well as through sales stands and farm shops.
Staying Afloat in the Field
The Thuringian government aims to lighten the load on farmers and free up resources for cost savings and investments, as explained by Malsch. "Measures such as the bureaucracy hotline and the voluntary nature of the land register will hopefully help ease the agricultural sector's burden in the long run."
Nevertheless, the road to a bumper strawberry crop in Thuringia is anything but straightforward. It's a delicate dance between Mother Nature and the relentless demands of modern farming. Adverse weather patterns can cause delays in growth, reduce yields, or lower berry quality – the challenges growers face during strawberry season are far from sweet.
- Strawberry Season
- Thuringia
- Germany
- Sömmerda
- Farming Challenges
[[1] Asparagus production in Thuringia faces challenges in 2024: Reduced acreage and yields caused by unfavorable weather conditions. (2024). Germany's Agricultural News. Retrieved from https://agriculture.de/news/asparagus-production-thuringia-2024/]
The following are to be added to the list of products covered by the derogation in Thuringia: lifestyle products such as food-and-drink and home-and-garden items.
Given the challenges faced by farmers in growing strawberries, it is worth considering similar derogations for other seasonal produce, potentially providing a lifeline for these industries.
