According to Agreste, "As of July 1, 2023, the 2023 strawberry crop is estimated at 74,500 tonnes, down 4% compared with the 2022 harvest, but 2% higher than the 2018-2022 average. In May and June 2023, when the production season peaks, the seasonal drop in prices was less pronounced than in 2022; prices are thus well above 2022 levels and the 2018-2022 average, amid an overall rise in fresh fruit prices, particularly for cherries."
A smaller harvest than in 2022
On July 1, 2023, the 2023 strawberry production estimate was revised downwards to 74,500 tonnes (t). This means it will be 4% lower than the 2022 harvest (78,000 t), but 2% higher than the 2018-2022 average. Nationally, total strawberry acreage is stable at 3,980 ha, with the decline in outdoor and low-shelter acreage counterbalanced by an increase in greenhouse (and high-shelter) acreage. The decline in production only affected the South-West basin (-15% year-on-year). With surface areas down by only 1% over the year in this basin, the drop in production is mainly due to lower average yields, as a result of high temperatures and the presence of pests (Drosophila Suzukii).
For further information:
agreste.agriculture.gouv.fr
Photo : Dreamstime
