The Swiss berry season continues at full speed. "Since the weather changed at the beginning of week 33, strawberry quantities have been rising again noticeably," reports Martin Egger, product manager for soft fruit at Tobi Seeobst AG. These are the so-called everbearing varieties, which are now primarily being harvested. Due to the weather, this year's harvest did not really get going until the end of April, ten days later than usual. "The lack of light in February, combined with nighttime temperatures below freezing, slowed down the growth of the strawberries. On the other hand, this meant that we had fewer problems with pests."
© Tobi Seeobst AG
Insight into the processing and packaging of regional strawberries at the Egnach site
'Permanent shortage of strawberries'
On the sales side, this year's strawberry season got off to a very good start, Egger continues. "Right from the start, advertising frequency on the part of large distributors was particularly high, so that we constantly had too little produce to meet demand. As a result, import quotas have been in place to date. Initially, the supplementary imports came primarily from Spain, followed later by loads from the Netherlands, Belgium, and a few from Germany." Despite the tight supply situation, prices are coming under increasing pressure. Retail prices are currently 20-25 percent below last year's level.
Raspberries and blackberries from Thurgau
Shrub berries: Heat has varying effects
The shrub berry harvest is now also in its second half. Egger: "Raspberries in particular have suffered extremely from the heat, so that we are currently facing catastrophic yield losses of up to 40-50 percent across Switzerland. Imported goods are also only available in limited quantities, so that corresponding shortages are now looming. As long as there is no rain in sight, the yield prospects are also rather bleak." In line with the supply situation, prices are trending downwards during the high season, but at the beginning of week 34, the entry prices will come back into effect, which is rather unusual for this time of year.
In contrast to raspberries, the heatwave has only had a positive effect on blackberry stocks. "We are currently seeing excellent quality and large berries, which in turn is contributing to higher yields and revenues. We were convinced that we had already reached the peak in week 32. However, in week 33, we exceeded the previous week's volumes once again. Advertising campaigns are crucial here to be able to handle these volumes at all." Thanks to the abundant harvest, retailers can currently source all their produce from Switzerland.
Blueberries and redcurrants
Blueberry cultivation continues to grow
The blueberry harvest is now coming to an end, Egger continues. "Blueberry cultivation in Thurgau continues to show slight increases in area and volume. Only the rainy spell at the end of July presented us with some challenges, as the shelf life of the produce harvested during this period was not optimal. However, we were fortunate that the market was very receptive, so we were able to sell the quantities immediately without having to store them temporarily. The situation was different for currants, however, as the output for such a niche product is correspondingly lower." Both berry crops are expected to continue to be delivered as stored goods until around mid- to late September, the report concludes.
Aerial view of the Egnach site
For more information:
Martin Egger
Operations Manager Egnach / Berry Sales
Tobi Seeobst AG
Tel. +41 71 474 70 21
[email protected]
www.tobi-fruechte.ch
