This year's strawberry harvest in North Rhine-Westphalia has gotten off to a promising start. "At the end of week 17, we were able to pick the first tunnel-grown strawberries of the Twist variety, followed by Verdi a week later and the first open-field strawberries starting in week 20," reports Michael Bleilevens, a strawberry grower in Heinsberg-Unterbruch. Despite the relatively cool nighttime temperatures in recent weeks, the crops are looking very good at the start of the season, he adds.
© Bleilevens Erdbeerkulturen
Fresh tunnel-grown strawberries
Demand for strawberries is particularly encouraging at the start of the season, but it typically levels off somewhat starting in late June. "The first five to six weeks of sales are traditionally particularly strong, thanks to the many holidays such as Mother's Day and Pentecost, as well as King's Day in the Netherlands. The resulting sales boost is noticeable in both direct marketing and food retail," says Bleilevens, who also points to the accompanying point-of-sale promotions. The outlook for pricing is also positive for now. "We need a producer price above 4 EUR/kg to operate profitably, and we are very likely to achieve that this year."
© Hugo Huijbers | FreshPlaza.comBleilevens operates two sales stands, one in his hometown of Unterbruch (pictured) and another on the outskirts of Düsseldorf.
Bleilevens grows tunnel-grown strawberries on about six hectares and open-field strawberries on approximately 40 hectares. "The new plantings we make each year cover about 20 hectares. Thus, our operation always has about 20 hectares of annual crops and, for the other half, about 20 hectares of biennial crops. In addition, we have been working with a new open-field cultivation system for the first time this year, as we have decided against raised-bed cultivation for now for several reasons. Aside from the water-permeable plastic cover, we have, among other things, slightly adjusted the height of our ridges as well as the spacing between the plants. Furthermore, we are now managing completely without insecticides for the first time. In the medium to long term, our goal is to achieve a closed-loop system on our farm, including through the use of AI. In this regard, we are also in constant exchange of knowledge and experience with colleagues within the Frutania Group as well as other industry peers in other parts of Germany."
© Hugo Huijbers | FreshPlaza.comAfter numerous years of declining acreage, Bleilevens has slightly expanded his open-field capacity again this year.
Similar to tunnel cultivation, the two varieties Aprica and Verdi are also grown in the open field; the Cadenza variety completes the current range. Bleilevens: "The Aprica variety in particular has proven itself over the past two decades as a weather-resistant strawberry and yields well even in heat and rain. Relatively new to the portfolio is Cadenza, which is particularly well-suited for later marketing starting in mid-June." The strawberry season typically ends in the second half of July, the report continues.
© Hugo Huijbers | FreshPlaza.com
Grower Michael Bleilevens is currently already harvesting tunnel-grown strawberries.
The farm was founded in its current form in 1994, and the partnership with Frutania GmbH dates back to 2008. "Markus Schneider's (co-founder and managing director of the Frutania Group) vision for marketing local strawberries convinced me from the very beginning. He continues to fight for the interests of the growers, which we members greatly appreciate." A perennial issue in agriculture is and remains staffing. "We employ up to 140 workers during the season, about 60 percent of whom currently come from Romania. We also have seasonal workers from Georgia, Ukraine, and Poland. What I find somewhat lacking in the debate over the minimum wage are the positive effects of raising it and the creation of new incentives. After all, this also makes it easier for us producers to find staff."
For more information:
Michael Bleilevens 
Erdbeerkulturen Bleilevens
Haag 40
52525 Heinsberg
Telephone: 02452 931585
Mail: [email protected]
https://www.erdbeerkulturen-bleilevens.de/
