Spring started out cold this year. This has caused a ten-day delay to the beginning of the Danish strawberry season. Hopefully, the bright May sunshine will result in an abundance of good-quality strawberries being harvested. If this happens, Coop supermarkets and the numerous growers in Funen will report this.
The Danish island of Funen is currently experiencing clear blue May skies. This has, however, been a long time coming. The cold, dark weeks in March and April delayed the start of the strawberry season by more than a week. This is according to Lars Aarup, Coop's Director of Market Analyses. Coop unites, among others, the Superbrugsen, Fakta, and Kvickly supermarkets.
"Strawberries depend heavily on sunlight. We did not see the sun much in the first few months of the year. This is why the strawberry season has only just started", he says. He does, however, think it will be a good year for this fruit. "If the weather stays as good, we expect a large crop in two weeks time. This is when the tunnel strawberries will be ready. It looks like they will be big and juicy. " These strawberries are grown in the full ground. They are then covered with plastic tunnels. Open field strawberries will follow within a week. "A lot depends on the weather. The open field strawberries are not covered. It is more difficult to estimate their yield", continues Lars.
Not too warm
Funen's strawberry farmers are also optimistic. Lars Friis works at Skovhavegård in Tommerup. He thinks it will be a big, good harvest. "We had to wait longer than usual. I do, however, think the strawberries will be large, flawless, and healthy", he says. John Meier of Engholm Frugtplantage in Ebberup is "cautiously optimistic". He emphasises that the strawberries still need moderate temperatures in the coming weeks. "It seems as if we will have a big harvest this year. There cannot, however, be too many cloudbursts. This often happens after a warm period. This will certainly not benefit the strawberries' quality", he says.
Fruit grower, Per Nielsen from Broby is also hoping for good-quality strawberries. He is, however, not sure that this will be the case. "It is hard to make predictions at this stage. I think we will have nice strawberries. I do not this there will be many of them", he says. The latter is thanks to the high May temperatures. "This kind of weather can cause damage. When it is more than 22 degrees, it is actually too hot for strawberries. They ripen too fast and the season is cut short."
Danish strawberries are, in general, extraordinarily sweet and tasty. Strawberries thrive in a climate which has significant differences between day and night temperature. The short farm-to-shop distances also help. This is why farmers here can grow the softer, more fragile varieties. In Spain, robust strawberries are grown. The need to be able to last a truck journey without spoiling. John Meier finds that these do not taste as good. "We once had Spanish strawberries in our cold storage. They looked good - robust -, but when I took a bite, they tasted of kiwi. In Denmark, we simply have a better climate. We can grow nice, sweet-tasting fruit", he says.
Organic strawberries are popular
Strawberries are becoming more and more popular. Between 2003 and 2012, production grew from 4 100 tonnes to 6 650 tonnes. This was evident in Coop's shops, says Lars Aarup. "They are very suited to summer sales. If the Danish sun-ripened strawberries are of good quality, the Dames are ready for them. This year, there will also be organic strawberries in the shops", he says. "Organic products are enjoying increased popularity. Not just in the big cities, but also increasingly on Funen."
The high season for Danish strawberries usually starts in week 26. It lasts about three or four weeks.
Source: www.fyens.dk