Overview and Short-Term Outlook for the Polish Berry Sector

Fresh Blueberry

Peru

Fresh Blackberry

Published Apr 15, 2023

The berry sector in Poland has been constantly improving, with investment in new plantings and increasing acreage under blueberries and raspberries. Total berry production in 2022 reached 579,000 MT, an increase of 3.7% YoY. Still, farmers are faced with labor shortages, increased input costs, as well as growing competition. This will reflect on retail prices in the short term, which are expected to be higher compared to previous years.

In 2022, Poland, one of the largest berry producers in the EU, produced up to 579,000 MT of fresh berry fruit, a modest 3.7% YoY improvement. The Polish berry sector includes a range of fruits such as strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, and currants. Exports also took an upward direction for blueberries and raspberries, with an 18.48% YoY upswing to 25,000 MT and a 13.63% YoY jump to 10,000 MT, while strawberry export volumes experienced a drop of 21.87% due to lower demand and fell down to 15,000 MT. Still, Polish strawberries meant for processing scored the highest export price jump of 91% YoY up to EUR 1.7/kg in 2022. Most berry exports went to Germany, France, and the UK.

In recent years, the Polish berry sector has faced several challenges, including labor shortages, climate change, and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The labor shortage, in particular, has been a significant issue for the sector, as many migrant workers who typically come to Poland to work on berry farms have been unable to do so due to travel restrictions and border closures. Although there are some recent improvements in the mechanized harvest of blueberries, most of the picking is still carried out manually. Despite increased blueberry consumption, Polish farmers face higher production costs regarding energy, fertilizer, and pesticides, lowering their profit margin. The cost of production for 1 kg of blueberries in Poland was approximately EUR 3/kg according to a recent study by the Institute of Agricultural and Food Economics, similar to costs in Germany(EUR 3.6-4/kg), and much higher compared to Ukraine (EUR 1.7-2/kg).

Although the total acreage under berries remained around 2021 levels with 130,300 ha, there are changes in the structure of plantings: strawberry fields decreased by 8.5% YoY to 30,800 ha, while raspberries marked the highest increase of 9.1% YoY up to 21,600 ha. Blueberries' surface enlarged by 6.5% YoY but was still a mere 11,400 ha.

Seasonality of Fresh Blueberries and Raspberries in PolandSource: Tridge Graph 1 and Graph 2

Due to the seasonality of fresh berries in Poland, at the moment imported commodities from Chile, Peru, Spain, and Morocco dominate the market. Even for this time of year, raspberry availability is minimal. In retail, raspberries cost EUR 16-18/kg, while blueberries cost EUR 9-10/kg. Adverse weather in North Africa and Spain affected maturing of the fruit in Morocco and Spain, causing a rapid increase in prices of blueberries from Chie which remained the main supplier due to Peru’s political protests.

Tridge predictions for the berry sector in Poland are positive regarding export. Given the trends in UK and Germany, strawberry exports are expected to increase despite lower acreage. Blueberry and raspberry exports are expected to increase slightly, pressured by increasing competitors from Eastern Europe. Retail prices of almost every berry are expected to increase fueled by higher production costs, which will directly jeopardize domestic consumption.