Strawberry harvest in Saxony significantly lower than last year

Saxon fruit growers are expecting a significant drop in the strawberry harvest this year. The harvest expectation for 2024 is 1,200 tons, which is almost 50 per cent lower than last year's harvest (2,100 tons), as the Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt Fruit Growers' Association announced at the opening of the strawberry season in Leipzig on Friday. Although the winter had been mild, the frosty nights in April had caused severe damage to the fields despite film protection.

The harvest began early, according to the information. The first fruits from the open field have already been available for two weeks, which is almost two weeks earlier than in 2023. However, the harvest is currently being delayed due to the cool temperatures. According to the association's estimates, the demand in Saxony of around 3.9 kilos per person can only be met to a much lesser extent than last year. The self-sufficiency rate in 2024 will therefore be just under 6 percent, 6 points less than in 2023.

Strawberries dominate the soft fruit sector in Saxony, with 300 hectares under cultivation. Saxony's State Secretary for Agriculture, Gisela Reetz, came to Leipzig on Friday for the start of the harvest and met the Saxon Flower Queen Alida Nadine I.