Farmers in Schleswig-Holstein achieved rather below-average yields in berry production last year. The blossoming period saw moderate conditions with regional late and blossom frosts and changeable weather in summer, conducive to mold, had the effect of reducing yields in open field cultivation, according to the Statistical Office North.
In total, berries were grown by 46 farms on just under 190 hectares (ha) in 2021. The area under cultivation was thus two percent above the previous year's level. In the open field, shrub berries were grown on some 158 ha. The acreage of cultivated blueberries fell by 3 percent to 71 ha compared to the previous year. Raspberries were grown on a good 60 ha. The area under cultivation was thus 4 percent higher than in 2020.
Aronia berries are grown on about 13 ha. Shrubberries were now produced on around 32 ha under high accessible protective covers (foil tunnels) and in greenhouses (plus 8 percent). The majority of these were raspberries.
Outdoor blueberries achieved a very moderate yield of 26.2 decitons per hectare (dt/ha). This is a third below the previous year's yield (42.2 dt/ha). Raspberry yields in the open field were not quite as weak. At 39.4 dt/ha, the crop yield was below the six-year average of 42.0 dt/ha. Total shrub berry yields in the open and under high accessible protective cover were just below the previous year's level at around 9,600 dt.
Ten farms produced bush berries according to organic standards on an area of just over 30 ha. This segment thus accounted for 16 percent of the total area under cultivation in 2021.
