The German producers of blueberries, satisfied with the season
The 2016 season has been difficult for the German producers of blueberries, but towards the end of the year, although the figures were not what the producers would have wanted, there was a good crop, of quality. Although this year the time has been far from ideal, the incidence of diseases has been less, while the previous year practically devastated the national crop.
In 2016, the crop of cultivated blueberries was reduced by 10%, to 10.700 tons. In addition to blueberries, 7.200 tons (+ 7%) of red and white currants and 6.800 tons (-5%) of blackcurrants were produced, the largest crops of red fruits grown in shrubs in Germany.
"German growers are satisfied with the season this year. Maintaining the berries with the correct quality has been difficult due to the rain and humidity in the packing houses. It is essential that producers are better trained to know how to keep packing houses at the correct temperature in the coming years, to keep humidity low and berries dry.“explains Maciej Chmielewski from Milbor.
"Although the quality may not be as high as that of other blueberry producing countries, consumers are interested in price and prefer the domestic product to the imported one. For this reason, blueberries grown in Germany are exclusively for the domestic market. Many of my German colleagues say that it may not be the best of the best, but that they are satisfied with the quality of their berries.".
According to the United States Department of Agriculture, “in 2016, red fruits were grown in a total of 8.460 hectares (one 4% more than in 2015), of which the majority (97%) is grown in the open field. Around a quarter of the total German area is in Lower Saxony and an 83% of it goes to open-field blueberry cultivation".
Germany, which is the 16% of the population of the EU-28, is the largest economy in Europe and the main consumer of fruit, which makes it the largest market.
Germany is a very price sensitive country and both consumers and retailers are looking for the highest quality at low prices.
Source: FreshPlaza
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