The global strawberry market is entering a phase where timing, rather than volume alone, is defining outcomes. Across regions, supply is increasing, but not always at the right moment, not always at the right quality, and not always at prices that reflect rising costs. What appears on the surface as a recovery in availability is, in many cases, masking deeper imbalances between production, market windows, and input pressures.
© Viola van den Hoven-Katsman | FreshPlaza.com
As the season unfolds from early European harvests to peak volumes in North America and emerging supply in the Southern Hemisphere, growers and traders are navigating a market where weather, cost inflation, and shifting demand patterns are increasingly interconnected. The result is a campaign shaped less by shortages or surpluses alone, and more by how effectively each region can align supply with market expectations.
Netherlands: Prices lag behind rising costs
"Easter remains a key reference point on the strawberry market for the start of the Dutch season. In the run-up to the holidays, there is always a shortage of strawberries," says a Dutch grower. "We are currently starting the Elsanta season, which used to be the standard. However, we have already had several weeks of harvesting everbearers, which has allowed us to supply customers in Norway in particular with strawberries."
The grower describes the expansion of everbearing varieties as a major advantage. "It enables us to achieve a much more even production pattern, allowing us to offer retail stronger programs and a more reliable product. In April and May, there will still be some peak volumes, but beyond that, strawberry cultivation is increasingly becoming a year-round activity, with continuous supply. These more even patterns also allow us to supply larger volumes to the market. Under optimal growing conditions, we are able to produce year-round. This year, we experienced a gap of three to four weeks."
At the same time, challenges remain, particularly due to rising energy costs. "If this trend continues, winter strawberry production will become much more difficult. Production costs are currently rising rapidly. While current market prices are sufficient to sell our strawberries, they are not high enough to support further development of the crop, as strawberry prices are not keeping pace with rising costs, putting significant pressure on the market."
Belgium: Strawberry volumes increase with stabilising prices
The new strawberry season has started in Belgium. After an initial phase with smaller volumes, unlit crops have now fully come into production. "This means that volumes are now increasing rapidly, but in the first weeks they are very weather-dependent," says a Belgian trader. "Strawberries are always weather-dependent, of course, but leading up to Easter, it seemed there was enough supply. Then the weather turned bad, and prices immediately increased. Now, however, good volumes are coming onto the market with prices that everyone can work with."
"You can really see that there is strong demand for local soft fruit, because there were many quality issues over the past months from Spain, Portugal, and Morocco, so everyone was eagerly waiting for the local product. Now that it's here, it's selling quickly in the local markets, but in fact we are exporting across Northern Europe."
Italy: Area expands as prices come under pressure
Overall, the outlook for the 2026 strawberry growing season is positive, characterised by an increase in the area under cultivation, particularly in Italy and Spain, and continued sector growth. Yields vary depending on the varieties and cultivation methods used, ranging from around 27,000 kg per hectare in soil-based systems to over 50,000 to 68,000 kg per hectare in soilless systems. In Italy, the cultivated area has increased by around 250 hectares, confirming the sector's development. At the same time, production areas are shifting towards the south of the country. In Campania, cultivation continues to expand, rising by 6 per cent compared to last year to reach over 1,200 hectares. In Basilicata, the cultivated area has increased by 17 per cent compared to 2025, reaching approximately 1,280 hectares. Together, these two regions account for 2,500 hectares, representing 56 per cent of the national total. Meanwhile, cultivated areas in Calabria have decreased by 4 per cent, while those in Sicily have increased slightly by 2 per cent. In the north, the total cultivated area is estimated at just over 900 hectares in 2026, representing a decrease of 1 per cent.
In week 14, the wholesale price of strawberries fell by 11.2 per cent compared to the previous seven days. The abundance of Spanish produce, traded at prices ranging from €2.50 to €2.80 per kg, has put downward pressure on Italian varieties. Production from the Campania region is priced at €3.00 to €3.50 per kg, while Sicilian strawberries are priced at around €4.00 per kg. The Sabrosa variety from Basilicata is priced at around €5.00 per kg, while the Inspire variety is priced between €5.00 and €6.00 per kg.
According to YouGov data, over 70 per cent of Italian households purchase strawberries. Purchase frequency is increasing, with the average number of purchases rising from around 6.2 to 7.1 per year, marking a 9 per cent increase. Supermarkets and discount stores remain the main points of purchase. Although growing, the organic strawberry segment remains limited.
Spain: Weather impact and price decline
The Spanish strawberry season is proving to be one of the most difficult in recent years. In the first months, up to mid-February, it was affected by heavy rainfall, colder temperatures, and strong winds, which caused damage to greenhouse infrastructure and sharply reduced fruit availability, at times by more than half during the season.
Supply remained very limited until mid-March, passing through the Valentine's Day period, when orders usually increase, without being able to meet demand. During this period of scarcity, a large share of shipments remained within the domestic market and Portugal due to the risks associated with exporting over longer distances, particularly quality issues caused by excess humidity. In this context, Greek strawberries gained ground in the market with lower-priced fruit.
With improved weather in March, strawberry production in Huelva began to recover. However, since the end of March, Spanish exporters have lost their position in the market and have been forced to reduce prices sharply in order to sell their fruit, falling below profitability levels. This comes at a time when fuel and other input costs have increased. In addition to Greece, production is also coming from Italy, France, and the Netherlands.
"In the first months of the season, it is when Spanish exporters can make the most money because availability in Europe is lower, but this year we have hardly had any production. Now we are facing abundant supply at rock-bottom prices," said a producer and exporter from Huelva. "We expect production to decline in April and then increase again in May, but if this downward trend continues, many farms may be left unharvested, because it would mean losing money given the harvesting costs," the exporter warned.
Germany: Imports dominate as domestic season begins slowly
A wide range of strawberries was recently available on the German wholesale market, with produce sourced from the Netherlands, Belgium, Greece, Italy, and Spain. The first domestic greenhouse strawberries also began to appear sporadically in the last week of March. Following weeks of shortages, the supply of Spanish strawberries from the Huelva growing region picked up again at the end of March, although total volumes remained below last year's levels. Nevertheless, strawberry sales clearly benefited from the Easter trade. Meanwhile, suppliers of Greek and Dutch fruit report satisfactory supply levels. Prices across the range are above last year's levels.
The first significant quantities of strawberries from German open-field cultivation are expected around 20 April, according to the latest information from the growers' association VSSE. The season traditionally begins in the region around Oberkirch in the southwest of Germany. According to the VSSE, strawberry plants in high tunnels are currently in bloom. Growth has slowed due to low temperatures and limited sunshine in calendar weeks 13 and 14, the report adds.
United Kingdom: Early supply builds as main season approaches
The UK strawberry season is getting underway. Fruit from glasshouses has been available for some time, and early tunnel production has now started, with volumes increasing following this week's favourable weather.
The main UK strawberry season is expected to begin at the end of April or early May if the favourable weather continues. The Dutch season has started slightly earlier this year, with good volumes available. Prices appear stable and are expected to decline as volumes increase.
One importer hopes the Dutch season will be more stable and less challenging than the Spanish season. Conditions in Spain were cold and wet, followed by a surge in volumes just before Easter, coinciding with the start of the Dutch season. It has been a very difficult season for Spanish growers.
Fruit prices have remained unchanged, but transport costs have increased since the start of the conflict in the Middle East. Air freight costs have risen, as have road transport prices. The importer indicates that these costs are currently being absorbed, but this cannot be sustained over a longer period.
France: Gariguette volumes exceed 1,000 tons per week
The French strawberry season is reaching a key turning point, with gariguette production now exceeding 1,000 tons per week following improved weather conditions. This follows a delayed start and earlier supply shortages caused by cold temperatures and wind. The market has also come under pressure from low-priced Spanish imports, creating pricing challenges for French fruit.
For now, sales remain relatively good, although there are wide price differences in supermarkets for the same product, with French gariguette strawberries ranging from €2.50 to €5.00. In the coming weeks, rising volumes, particularly of round strawberries, will make consumption levels important to ensure smooth sales and maintain market balance.
North America: Supply exceeds demand across regions
Strawberry supply in the U.S. is currently strong. In California, Santa Maria is reporting high production levels, with fruit showing good flavour and colour. Conventional peak supply is underway and is expected to continue until week 19. Organic peak supply is forecast between weeks 16 and 20.
Oxnard and Salinas-Watsonville are also in production. Across California's growing regions, crops have developed under a warmer-than-normal winter combined with regular rainfall. As a result, areas such as Salinas-Watsonville are expected to produce more than they did at the same time last year.
Florida has concluded its season. Earlier in the year, growers were affected by freezes in late January and early February, although supply recovered more recently. Baja is largely finished, although there are reports that some fruit is still crossing the border.
Meanwhile, supply is exceeding demand for strawberries. The organic market has been weaker than expected, while there are expectations that the conventional market may strengthen. Some reports indicate that certain shippers in Santa Maria are not packing during the first one or two days after Easter in an effort to support the market. April is expected to be a heavy month for strawberry promotions.
South Africa: Late planting delays local supply
Due to prolonged rainfall, strawberry growers planted slightly later than usual, and the first local strawberries arrived this week at the Johannesburg Fresh Produce Market, according to a trader. "We've had a bit of imported strawberries, now we'll switch over to the local growers."
A 250g punnet of strawberries is currently trading on the wholesale market at between €2.37 and €2.97, which the trader describes as an excellent farm-gate price, comparing favourably with export prices. However, this level is expected to last only a few weeks until volumes increase. According to the Johannesburg market's website, strawberries, with extremely limited availability at present, are selling for €10.74 per kilogram.
The Middle East has become an integral part of South Africa's strawberry export campaign, and one exporter indicates that shipments are expected to begin this week or next. The reopening of the Strait of Hormuz is therefore welcomed by exporters.
Egypt: Market faces cost pressure and quality variability
In Egypt, the fresh strawberry season lasted longer than usual, starting earlier and ending later than last season. Volumes increased due to a sharp rise in acreage and the entry of new investors. Industry sources estimate that acreage increased by more than one-third. As a result, an oversupply developed. At the start of the season, Egyptian strawberries were exported to Gulf countries at prices below production costs, before stabilising in line with the previous season.
Production costs rose to around €8,835 per hectare, compared to €5,301 per hectare last season, according to one grower. Producers also reported issues with seedling quality, requiring replanting. One producer stated, "In particular, the Sensation variety, in our experience, has performed poorly for both fresh export and industrial processing, proving extremely susceptible to disease and adverse weather conditions. We will therefore discontinue this strawberry variety next season."
Fruit processing remained a key outlet for the sector, with Poland emerging as an important market for frozen strawberry exports. Several growers indicated that production was too high this season, and a reduction in acreage is expected next season as some new entrants exit the market.
Egypt's frozen strawberry sector is reporting stable volumes but ongoing challenges around consistency and cost control. According to an exporter, acreage and volumes are in place, but variable weather conditions are affecting fruit reliability. "The market is not short of strawberries; it's short of strawberries you can truly rely on," says an Egyptian exporter.
Exporters are focusing on closer farm-level control, traceability, and supplier selection to manage variability. At the same time, input costs have risen, with fuel up around 30 per cent, electricity 15 to 20 per cent higher, and packaging costs increasing by up to 50 per cent. Buyers are taking longer to make decisions, resulting in longer storage periods and higher financing costs. Indirect impacts from global shipping and energy markets are also affecting logistics planning.
Morocco: Lower yields and shifting production
In Morocco, the strawberry industry continues to lose ground. It is experiencing a structural decline, primarily due to Egypt's dominance of the international market. The area devoted to strawberries in Morocco has fallen from 3,700 hectares in 2022 to 2,300 hectares in 2025, while Moroccan strawberries are 10 to 15 per cent more expensive than Egyptian strawberries.
In 2026, the season was severely impacted by adverse weather conditions in the north of the country. Sizes and yields were reduced due to continuous rain, cold temperatures, and fewer hours of sunshine. One producer estimates yield losses at one-third of volumes.
Exporters then faced logistical problems in a major market, the Gulf region. At the same time, exporters encountered a favourable market, with strong demand and satisfactory prices. One producer says, "The production shortfall is offset by high demand, both locally and in export markets. International demand is particularly high, and we are able to export up to 60% of our harvest."
Production is expected to shift in the future, with more strawberries being grown in the central region of Agadir and the Dakhla region in the south, as well as through efforts to develop new varieties.
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