The German strawberry season started in April with strawberries grown in glasshouses or foil tunnels and were protected against all weather conditions. In the meantime the harvest in the early cultivation area has started, but picking is underway all over Germany. Because of the cool month of May the first supply is small, but since Pentecost picking is in full swing.
Traditionally June is the absolute strawberry month. In this month consumers buy the most strawberries. On average every German eats about 3 kgs. and the tendency is increasing. Eight years ago the consumption per head of the population was still 2.5 kgs. The strawberry area in Germany increased as well. In 2003 strawberries were still grown on 10,400 HA. In 2011 this has increased in the meantime to 13,850 HA.
The German quantity of production increased from 95,300 tons in 2003 to 154,000 tons in 2011. The higher local production has caused Germany to be less dependent on imports. In 2010 Germany imported about 104,000 tons of strawberries and ten years earlier this was still 118,000 tons.
Within the EU Germany is nevertheless the most important import market for strawberries. During the past two years about one quarter of the total strawberry import within the EU went to Germany. At the same time Germany within the EU is the largest strawberry producer bar two. Only Spain (280,000 tons) and Poland (160,000 tons) produced still more strawberries in 2011.