The blueberry harvest in northern Germany started quite early this year. "Thanks to optimal weather and growing conditions, we were able to harvest small quantities of Duke berries in calendar week 25, which means we started around 2-2.5 weeks earlier than average. With daytime temperatures around 30 degrees, we currently have optimal conditions, and the weather forecast predicts temperatures of up to 37 degrees during week 27. At some point, it will become too hot for our pickers to harvest the blueberries at all," says Hannes Badenhop, managing director of Blaubeergarten GmbH, based in Grethem.
© Blaubeergarten GmbH
No record harvest
The quality of the early blueberries has been mostly good so far. However, it's still too early to say exactly how much will be harvested this year, according to Badenhop. "We won't have a record harvest, but we're seeing good fruit set on the bushes, so we're currently expecting a slightly above-average harvest."
Competition from imports
In contrast to the good start to the harvest, however, marketing of domestic blueberries has been sluggish, Badenhop continues. "Demand from food retailers is currently very weak, as there are still plenty of imports from Spain and Romania. The programs are planned well in advance, which means that when we start the season earlier, there are always customers who continue to offer imported goods. However, most retail chains will have German produce listed in calendar week 28."
The price level at the start of the season is also rather disappointing. "If we start the season with entry-level prices, unfortunately, things won't get any better as the season progresses. We have also noticed that average prices have hardly risen in recent years, while costs have increased dramatically from the producer's standpoint. Unfortunately, we can only influence this to a limited extent by introducing greater efficiency into our operational processes. Accordingly, we have been relying on harvesting machines for several years now to counteract rising labor costs."
A total of five harvesters are already in use.
Bluecrop on the decline
The Badenhop family is one of the pioneers in blueberry cultivation in northern Germany and has been dedicated to the production and marketing of this popular berry fruit for 30 years. Depending on the weather, harvesting continues on the Lüneburg Heath until well into August. "The Duke variety traditionally marks the start of the season, but we grow a total of 14 different varieties on our farm, including Draper and Bluecrop. We are observing that the latter variety in particular is tending to lose importance", he concludes.
For more information:
Hannes Badenhop
Blaubeergarten GmbH
Grethemer Hauptstraße 35
29690 Grethem
Tel: +49 (0) 5164 8323
[email protected]
www.blaubeergarten.de
https://www.blaubeerland.de/
