In W18 in the strawberry landscape, in the United States, strawberries experienced a price reduction as growing regions filled production gaps. In Palm Beach County of FloridaHeavy rain, hail, and tornadoes caused damages to the remaining strawberry crops. Farmers reported losses caused by the weather were relatively minor. Breeders at the University of California have created five cultivars of Fusarium-resistant garden strawberries with high yields and improved fruit quality. The new strain names are Eclipse, UC Golden Gate, UC Keystone, UC Monarch, and UC Surfline, and are planned to replace susceptible varieties such as Monterey, UCD Royal Royce, and UCD Valiant. Approximately 88% of all strawberries grown in the United States are harvested in California. Fusarium is one of the most common causes of crop losses or death of plants of this crop. However, according to university experts, between 55 and 59% of all varieties grown in the state since 2014 still are not resistant to Fusarium.
In the Obour wholesale market of Egypt, strawberries stood at USD 0.23-0.32/kg (EGP 7-10/kg) in W18. The export season for strawberry seedlings has commenced in Nevşehir, Turkey, a region known for its strawberry production. The Provincial Director of Agriculture and Forestry announced that out of the 20M strawberry seedlings produced in 2022, 1.6M were exported from Nevşehir, a significant increase in strawberry seedling production in the region over the years. In Chile, the Technological Diffusion Program (PDT) of the regional office of Corfo Maule aims to support strawberry farmers affected by the strawberry dwarf nematode (Aphelenchoides fragariae). The program will disseminate prevention and action plans for surveillance, phytosanitary measures, and pest management, reducing the impact of the nematode on strawberry productivity. The program targets 35 direct beneficiaries, mainly in the Maule Region, and includes surveys, demonstrations, and knowledge transfer to improve cultivation practices. An international seminar on the challenges of the strawberry industry will be held as part of the program. On the other hand, the competition between Georgia and Turkey in the strawberry market has intensified. The wholesale market in Georgia is seeing high volumes of strawberries from Turkish imports and local farmers. Despite the large supply, there is still significant demand for locally produced high-quality strawberries. Turkey remains the primary exporter of strawberries to Georgia, and the off-season demand for strawberries in Georgia has further increased with the start of the season.
The first greenhouse-grown strawberries from local producers became available on the Moldovan market. The prices for early strawberries are slightly higher compared to the same period in 2022. The price for greenhouse strawberries from the first harvest is USD 7.32/kg (MDL 130 /kg). The Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced the potential lifting of a ban on residues of two types of pesticides commonly used on Japanese strawberries. This decision comes in response to a request made by Japanese exporters, who have faced frequent border seizures of their fruit exports to Taiwan. Lastly, the price of strawberries decreased to USD 1/kg in the wholesale markets of Tajikistan due to an oversupply of strawberries from different regions of the country, hot weather accelerating the ripening process of strawberries and causing wilting, and producers trying to sell their products quickly.
