GLOBAL MARKET REVIEW WITH DR GODWIN OYEFESO (STRAWBERRIES)
France: Strawberry campaign enters peak production
At the beginning of May, the French strawberry campaign is in full swing, having just passed its highest production peak. Many key production regions are now actively harvesting. Last week’s sunny weather and warm temperatures led to a surge in round strawberry volumes, with continued high volumes expected this week. While the peak production period for both round strawberries and Gariguettes occurred in week 15, significant quantities are still anticipated in the coming weeks as some regions continue to ramp up.
Despite the record weeks of the season being behind most producers, market absorption has been relatively smooth. This is largely due to the well-organized structure of the French strawberry sector, which includes efficient commercial operators and retailers offering attractive promotions at strategic times. Even with the public holiday on Thursday, May 1, sales have remained steady.
The French season often begins in the shadow of competition from Spanish strawberries, which are in full production in March and April. However, this year, Spanish growers faced quality and volume issues due to weather disruptions, allowing French strawberries to gain shelf space more quickly. In May, French production supplies around 70% of the domestic market. Prices have generally been strong, particularly for elongated strawberries. As open-field strawberries arrive, quality tends to become more variable, leading to greater price fluctuations. Nevertheless, this first part of the season has been positive overall in terms of yield, consumption, prices, and quality.
France is expected to produce around 60,000 tonnes of strawberries this year, in line with last year’s total, to meet part of the national consumption demand of approximately 120,000 tonnes.
Germany: Strawberry demand weakens after Easter amid increased availability
In Germany, cool weather and vacations have weakened demand, while local, Belgian, and Dutch strawberries maintain a high market share. Spain’s Huelva region faces declining strawberry production but rising prices due to reduced supply.
Cool weather and school vacations significantly weakened strawberry demand in the week following Easter, while availability increased. Local strawberries became more prominent on the market, but their quality varied. Some berries were too large or too pale, affecting their appeal. In contrast, Dutch strawberries, which dominated the market, generally maintained high quality. According to the BLE, Dutch supplies were occasionally limited, allowing them to maintain their previous high prices. However, price ranges varied depending on varieties and color. Besides domestic, Belgian, and Dutch products, strawberries from Greece, Italy, and Spain continued to be available. Aldi Süd also launched the second marketing season of its exclusive ALDIna strawberry variety from local cultivation in week 20.
Spain remains the most important source of strawberries for the market, followed by Greece and the Netherlands. However, the volume of imported Spanish strawberries declined by approximately 13,000 tonnes between 2021 and 2024, while imports from Greece increased by 6,000 tonnes. Domestic production has generally decreased, with around 120,000 tonnes harvested in 2024. About one-third of this volume was produced under protected cultivation, a method that continues to gain importance in the German strawberry sector. Over the past decade, the area under protected cultivation has more than tripled.
From a regional perspective, Lower Saxony remains the largest strawberry-growing area in Germany, with 2,852 hectares under cultivation. It is followed by North Rhine-Westphalia with 2,457 hectares and Baden-Württemberg with 2,381 hectares. These regions continue to play a key role in national strawberry production.