Soft fruit in Brandenburg grows explosively

Of all the soft fruit grown in the German state Brandenburg, buckthorn berries take up the largest area, followed by blueberries. Buckthorn berries can only be harvested during the autumn in the state.

Buckthorn berries, aronia berries, gooseberries, raspberries, currants and blueberries are grown in Brandenburg. In 2015 49 Brandenburg companies produced berries, on a total surface of 730 hectares. The area has increased by around 86 hectares compared to 2014. Compared to 2012 the area has even increased by 257 hectares.

In 2015 1.727 tonnes of berries were harvested in total in Brandenburg. This is 12 percent more than in 2014.

Because the demand for blueberries is increasing globally, the blueberry area in Brandenburg also rose to 166 hectares in 2016. However, buckthorn berries take up a much larger area, 330 hectares. Twenty companies grow organically on 61 percent of the total berry area. The largest berry area is in the region Potsdam-Mittelmark. In 2015 14 companies were growing berries here on 326 hectares.