The blueberry harvest is underway, if it were a normal year, it would be at the beginning, and now it is in the middle or even further. In addition, chokeberries, which normally ripen at the end of August, are already available – Witold Boguta, president of the National Union of Fruit and Vegetable Producer Groups, told the Polish Press Agency. – This year is abnormal – he assessed.
As Witold Boguta, president of the National Union of Fruit and Vegetable Producer Groups (KZGPOiW), told PAP, the harvest of strawberries, haskap berries, summer raspberries and black and red currants has already ended. – However, the blueberry harvest is ongoing, if it were a normal year, the harvest would only be at the beginning, and now I suspect that it is halfway through or even further – he assessed.
Two Week Acceleration
He explained that this is due to the fact that the winter was mild, and therefore “vegetation started very early, which is why we now have a two-week acceleration (in fruit ripening – PAP)”. He added that the accelerated fruit bloom was also influenced by the heat in June and July.
– This year is abnormal in this respect – commented Witold Boguta.
The expert also pointed to apples as an example, which began to ripen around June 25, and “normally this should happen two weeks later”. He also noted that chokeberries, which normally ripen in late August or early September, are already available in some bazaars.
Witold Boguta emphasized that due to frosts, some crops were damaged, which is why the harvest is smaller “even by several dozen percent compared to normal years.”
Import of frozen fruit
Last season, frozen raspberries were imported from Ukraine amounted to 27.5 thousand tons and reached a value of EUR 71.7 million (MF data). This meant that, with low demand, the high prices expected by Polish growers were unrealistic. While in 2022, producers were paid an average of PLN 14/kg for a kilogram of raspberries for processing, in 2023 it was only about PLN 5.
When asked about the import of frozen soft fruits from Ukraine, the expert stated that this year “there is no problem in this regard”. However, he drew attention to the import of frozen strawberries from Egyptwhich are imported to Poland for little money. – It often happens that they are unfortunately mixed with our strawberries and then sold on the EU market as Polish – he pointed out.
– When it comes to strawberries, Egypt will be our increasing competitor – he stressed.
According to data from the Ministry of Finance, Egypt is the main supplier of frozen strawberries to Poland. “Imports from this country increased from 1.9 thousand tons on average in the 2015/16–2017/18 seasons to as much as 27.5 thousand tons in the 2022/23 season. Egypt's share in the volume of imports of frozen strawberries increased from 15.6 to 73.3 percent, and in the value of imports from 11.8 to 64.4 percent” – was reported in a study by the Institute of Agricultural and Food Economics prepared for the National Union of Fruit and Vegetable Producer Groups.
The price of blueberries is still profitable
The president of KZGPOiW predicts that blueberry production will be lower this year, but the price of this fruit is still profitable for producers. – In connection with this, blueberry growers should come out ahead this year – he stated. He added that Poland is the largest consumer of blueberries per person in the world.
In addition, the expert said that Poland exports large quantities of blueberries – mainly to Great Britain, German, Netherlands and Israel. He noted, however, that blueberry plantings in other countries are growing, “so if, despite low consumption growth, there is a significant increase in production, many of our growers will have problems in the coming years,” summed up Witold Boguta.
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