In W31 in the strawberry landscape, the average daily strawberry prices in the United States (US) have increased by 37.14%, with a USD 3.25/lb rise from July 14, reaching USD 12/lb. This surge is attributed to the impact of atmospheric rivers in California during the winter and spring seasons, causing heavy rainfall that inundated strawberry fields in Watsonville and Salinas. The resulting damage led to a loss of two to three months' worth of the growing season. Despite a delayed start, crop volumes gained momentum, but the California Strawberry Commission confirmed over USD 100 million in crop losses due to adverse weather conditions. As the spring crops in Santa Maria wind down, the fall crop is expected to begin in late July to early August, with strawberries from the Salinas and Watsonville regions experiencing reduced fruit size.
The Federal Statistical Office of Germany (Destatis) reported that the strawberry harvest in Germany is projected to be lower than in 2022. Farmers anticipate 84.70 thousand tons of strawberries from open ground, reflecting a 14% decrease from the previous year. This decline is due to a 7% reduction in open-ground strawberry cultivation, covering 9.20 thousand hectares (ha) in 2023. This drop occurred due to increased production costs, unfavorable price trends, reduced demand, and a delayed harvest start due to a colder spring. The expected harvest for 2023 is notably lower than the average yield from 2017 to 2022, which stood at 110.40 thousand tons. Lastly, during W31, Europe has experienced severe weather conditions that have caused significant disruptions in the fresh strawberry supply chain. The Benelux countries (Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg) faced early autumn with continuous rains, leading to a drastic reduction in strawberry production, which plummeted to only 1/10th of the usual volume for this time of the year. In Belgium, major cooperatives witnessed insufficient strawberry volumes, with auction clocks showing less than 24 metric tons (mt) per truck.
