Strawberries for less than two euros: a price miracle in Coburg!

Strawberries for less than two euros: a price miracle in Coburg!

In the last few days, strawberry prices have caused a stir in discount stores. In a Coburg discounter, strawberries were offered for less than two euros, which made consumers rejoice. At the beginning of the season the prices were surprisingly high, but shortly before the store closed the promotional price quickly fell from 2.49 euros to 1.25 euros. This raises questions: How can such dumping prices come about? np-coburg.de reports that prices for strawberries in Germany have risen by more than 80 percent since 2014 are, which makes the current offer price seem even more surprising.

But how does it compare to the last few weeks? Prices for strawberries fluctuate significantly and averaged 8.19 euros per kilo at the end of April and beginning of May, which corresponds to around 4.10 euros for a 500 gram bowl. The record low prices of less than two euros per kilo are currently on the agenda as providers try to win customers through cheap promotions. br.de shows that weather conditions and the associated harvest time have a significant influence on pricing.

The role of weather and harvest

In the run-up to the Whitsun holidays, a period of almost a week and a half of rain caused a significant increase in supply. Although this led to a higher supply of strawberries, it had one disadvantage: the moisture made the fruits softer and therefore less durable. Consumers must be prepared to buy quickly because the shelf life of the already in-demand berries is limited, which in turn leads to quick sales and low prices. This assessment is also shared by tagesschau.de, which reports on the need to market the sensitive strawberries quickly.

Currently, two thirds of the strawberry fields in Germany have already been harvested. This results in the supply of domestic strawberries decreasing while demand remains high. Strawberries are considered the most popular fruit in Germany and association representatives expect market prices to stabilize. But this stabilization could be short-lived as prices are expected to rise due to weather-related restrictions on the harvest. The main picking season is coming to an end, which could cause prices to rise again in the second half of June.

Price trends and outlook

The average price for a kilogram of German strawberries is currently around 5.87 euros, which is significantly lower than the prices of the last few months. Nationwide, around 70 percent of the normal crop has already been harvested in regions such as Baden-Württemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate and Bavaria, while progress is much slower in northern Germany, where only around 20 percent of the harvest has been completed. The weather-dependent nature of strawberry cultivation is clear: outdoor produce suffers from harsher conditions, while tunnel produce is generally of higher quality and has a longer shelf life. Of course, all of this also influences prices, which have increased in recent years due to factors such as the minimum wage. tagesschau.de points out that the number of strawberry businesses in Germany fell by 7.5 percent last year.

The strawberry season therefore has its surprises in store for retailers and consumers. While many are already happy about the current bargains, it remains to be seen how prices will develop in the coming weeks. One thing is certain: demand remains high and the strawberry season still has a few twists and turns up its sleeve.