Global Market Update: Strawberry

Published 2019년 9월 20일

Strawberries are highly demanded and are produced all over the world. With demand in Europe and Asia rising, global production has risen as well. The start of the 2019 season was very difficult for European growers because of low prices.

The 6-digit Harmonized Tariff System code prefix for Fresh Strawberries is 081010

Price

The prices of strawberries have fluctuated severely over the last year. Especially prices in Europe were extremely low. Currently, prices are on the rise again. As of September 20, 2019, the global average wholesale price of strawberries is 3.52 USD per kg.

Production

In 2017, 9.2 million tons of strawberries were produced. The main producers were China (3.7 million tons), the United States (1.4 million tons), and Mexico (658.4K tons). Over the last 5 years, total strawberry production volume has been rising.

Supply and Demand

The demand for strawberries is usually higher around the holidays: Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Easter, and Christmas. During summer, when a lot of summer fruit is available, demand is usually lower. In Europe, seasons are complimentary so supply usually matches demand quite well. However this year, there was an oversupply leading to very low prices.

Export

In 2018, the total exported value of strawberries was 2.6 billion USD. The total exported quantity was 891.3K tons and the total exported value increased by 1% compared to 2017. The main exporters were:

Spain (694.0 million USD, 26.5%)
USA (475.2 million USD, 18.1%)
Mexico (432.4 million USD, 16.5%)
Netherlands (299.3 million USD, 11.4%)
Belgium (180.7 million USD, 6.9%)

The total exported value increased in all countries, except for Belgium which saw a slight decrease in the total exported value. The total exported value by the USA was unchanged. The total exported value has changed over the last decade as follows.

Besides a dip in 2015, the total export value of strawberries has been growing continuously.

Import

The total imported value in 2018 was 2.9 billion USD. Compared to 2017, the total imported value decreased by 1%. The total imported volume amounted to 911.5K tons. The major importers were:

USA (609.6 million USD, 21.1%)
Canada (340.5 million USD, 11.8%)
Germany (285.5 million USD, 9.9%)
UK (204.0 million USD, 7.1%)
France (176.0 million USD, 6.1%)

Trends

Bad Start to European Season

The 2019 season for European strawberries started earlier than expected, meaning that there was a lot more supply than demand. Furthermore, the Spanish season was delayed, meaning that there were a lot of Spanish strawberries on the market when West-European strawberries were ready. Demand stayed behind, severely driving down prices for strawberries. Especially greenhouse growers saw very low prices, ranging from 1.50 EUR to 2 EUR per kg. Around May, on Mother’s Day, demand started to catch up with the supply and prices rose again.

New Cultivars

The strawberry industry is always looking to introduce new cultivars. Consumers want strawberries that are sweet, and farmers prefer strawberries that are firm. This year, many new cultivars have come on the market, such as South Korean Mary Queen, Taiwanese Lian Xiang, and Italian Flaviapvr. All of these new varieties are easier to transport, more resistant to pests and sweeter.

Growth in Egypt and Turkey

Both Egypt and Turkey are witnessing huge growth in their strawberry production and exports. Egypt is currently the 6th biggest exporter of strawberries, whereas Turkey is the 13th biggest exporter. During the first three months of the year, Egypt’s strawberry exports hit record volumes. Turkey’s total exported value increased by 94% in 2018 compared to 2017. Turkey mainly exports to Russia, whereas Egypt mainly exports to Western Europe. For both countries, the increase in exports is mainly due to increased production and better quality.