The domestic highbush blueberry season is coming to an end in Poland

2021-09-28 10:29

This year's trading season of the Polish highbush blueberry on the fresh market is coming to an end. The supply of the fruit is shrinking rapidly, and recently its prices have been rising quite dynamically. In the period from the price peak in the middle of the third decade of August to mid-September, the prices of blueberries in the big warehouse increased by 35 percent and from the middle of this month to now, by 35 percent more. The cumulative increase over the entire period is 83 per cent.

Currently, prices for the last batches of blueberries in the wholesale trade on a larger scale are 16.00-26.00 PLN per kilo. This is, of course, much higher than at the peak of the season, but still less than in the same period in five of the seven previous years presented on the chart. This says a lot about the 2021 blueberry season.

It was a season marked from the start by major problems that producers had to face. The weather was not conducive to obtaining good quality fruit, which was reflected in prices. Prices, which have been under severe downward pressure since the start of the season due to weaker demand. The season in southern Europe was delayed, which had a negative impact on Poland's export opportunities.

Prices fell quickly and were among the lowest in recent years. At the peak of the season, producer prices for dessert blueberries went down to the level of industrial fruit purchase prices (5-6 PLN/kg; currently, industrial blueberry purchase prices are 8.00-9.00 PLN/kg). Some companies with access to cold stores took advantage of this and bought cheap fruit which they have recently released on the market with prices three to four times higher.

To sum up, it was a very poor season for blueberry growers. It was marked by big quality and demand problems and poor prices. These prices improved somewhat in August, during a period of poor weather which had a negative impact on supply, but farmers did not benefit from this. At the end of the season, when prices rose, it was not entirely to the benefit of producers either, mainly those who had previously built up stocks of nice blueberries in cold stores. The question is, how will this poor season affect the blueberry crop and production in the coming years?

Add comment

Commentary option available only for users with a subscription purchased