The raspberry processing industry remains vigilant about this Autumn's harvest, which began two weeks ago. The harvest is going through a critical stage; growers have had to face a dry season, but rainy in early August. It is unknown whether the optimistic pre-season production estimates will become a reality. However, until now, raspberry production of the Polana variety has been of a good quality, as confirmed by commercial sources from Foodnews.
Last year, the processors had to pay higher prices to producers at the beginning of the harvest, a situation which was reversed towards the end for both Polish and Serbian growers, who produced too much fruit, causing the global frozen raspberry market to collapse. This year, the processors have adopted a more cautious approach and are paying relatively lower prices; however, because the EU market has reduced inventories of frozen raspberries, it is said that Polish fruit is becoming more attractive to buyers. Moreover, traders are watching the market closely to see how it evolves before closing any contracts. Early deals ranged between 1.00 and 1.20 Euro per kilo, but these quickly stopped once it became clear that deliveries to the frozen food industry were limited.
Commercial sources say that it is too soon to give final figures on frozen raspberries from the Polish harvest, because the processing firms still have material in stock. The processors are still unsure about how much material they will receive in the next few weeks, which will depend on the quality required for optimal IQF processing. Depending on weather conditions, the Polish raspberry harvest can last until early October.
Source: Foodnews