Supply of domestic strawberries is growing slowly on the Polish market
The season of Polish strawberries is just beginning. For the time being, there are relatively few fruits from domestic crops, but their supply is growing. However, as long as strawberries from the open ground do not start, it will still be the preliminary phase of the campaign. A campaign that will be full of challenges and problems. Producers are aware of this and are voicing their concerns, including on social media and online forums.
These fears are related to the drastic increase in costs and the huge problems in recruiting seasonal workers for the harvest. What is still unknown is what rates will be paid in real terms for fruit harvesting. This not only depends, as the producers point out, on how much the workers will demand, but also on what the prices of strawberries for sale to the fresh market and for processing will be.
If the season is a repeat of last year, when producer prices were abysmal throughout almost the whole of June and especially July, then you will have to put money into the business to pick the fruit. And who can afford this in cost realities such as these?
Prices for domestic greenhouse strawberries held fairly steady in the first decade of May, but this seems to be a thing of the past. Now the downward dynamics of these prices have increased, as a bit more goods have come to the market, although the rather dry and cool weather is not ideal for the vegetation of these fruits. Small wholesale prices are now at 14.00-22.00 PLN/kg and this is already slightly cheaper than in the same period last year. The first strawberries appeared on the community market in Nowy Przybojewo, the Polish "strawberry basin". Asking prices are 20.00-30.00 PLN per 2 kg, and buyers are reportedly offering 18 PLN, so probably not the best harbinger for high prices for this fruit. The first offers online are also at PLN 15.00/kg.
This may worry producers, although, on the other hand, we must remember that the pressure of imports will slowly decrease and the prices of Spanish strawberries may soon start rising, as the harvest campaign in Spain is already in its final phase. Currently, the prices of imported strawberries are between PLN 10.00 and 12.00 per kg at the large wholesaler.
Theoretically speaking, domestic strawberry prices should be higher this season than in previous years, as production and logistics costs have increased. On the other hand, however, due to high inflation, consumers will be less inclined to purchase products that are not considered essential and will be perceived as expensive. The reduction in supply may therefore build up pressure on strawberry prices. The same is true of the pricing policy of processors, who are faced with a drastic increase in energy costs and will look for opportunities to save a little on raw material.