Global Market Overview: Raspberries

Raspberry growing and supply is increasing across many countries in the Northern Hemisphere to meet the usual summer demand. Germany has seen an early start to their season. The prospects in terms of yield and quality are quite good, but prices vary greatly from region to region. Switzerland is seeing the first promotions with domestic product starting soon. A hungry market for the locally grown raspberries will be fully supplied over the next five weeks. In Italy, raspberries are harvested over a very long period, almost 10 months of the year, as they are grown practically all over the country, even in mountainous areas. In the summer months, production is more abundant and comes from more areas, so prices fall. The Netherlands has high initial prices for Dutch raspberries, while Spain continues to lose market share to Morocco. The Dutch raspberry season has just begun, featuring high-quality, robust fruits. In Spain the surface area and exports have decreased. Raspberries are the main red fruit from Portugal.

The German raspberry harvest is now in full swing. This year's open field harvest started in northern Germany in week 25. The prospects in terms of yield and quality are quite good, but prices vary greatly from region to region. In tunnel cultivation, raspberries are considered both a summer and autumn crop on many farms. "In midsummer, the market is almost completely saturated. From mid-August, imported goods increasingly disappear from the market, while our autumn harvest then picks up speed," says one producer, describing the course of the season. Meanwhile, imported goods from the Balkan countries are being offered at high prices.

In Switzerland, this year's berry harvest is also picking up quite early. In total, 2,165 tonnes of raspberries are expected. Production will remain at a high level over the next five weeks. The market is expected to be fully supplied with Swiss raspberries. "The market is hungry for early berries from Switzerland. We expect the first promotions for raspberries by the end of June," explained a Swiss berry producer. The price of strawberries is slightly above last year's level, and a minimal price increase is also expected for raspberries.

In Italy, raspberries are harvested over a very long period, almost 10 months of the year, as they are grown practically all over the country, even in mountainous areas. In the summer months, production is more abundant and comes from more areas, so prices will fall.

The Sicilian raspberry harvest was affected by the unusually hot weather in October and December, which delayed the ripening of the fruit. "For this reason, the harvest started after Christmas. The cycle was slowed down, the production calendar was extended, and there were not the usual peaks in production, but rather a slow but steady advance. Yields fell by 15-20%," says a Sicilian entrepreneur for whom the season ended in mid-June. On the subject of producer prices, on the Verona market, for example, the average price at which the entrepreneur sold his raspberries to wholesalers was €8.30/kg.

"We are satisfied with the work done this year, with a price increase of at least 30 per cent, after two stressful years due to massive non-EU exports. Our raspberry sales, which started in October, continued until the first week of June. During the summer months, we suspend sales as prices drop significantly and we are unable to achieve satisfactory margins, partly due to high costs. The year just ended was a positive one in terms of production and quality, with frost-free weather. Since the start of the campaign, demand has been constant and consistently high. The lack of skilled labour reduces the possibility of increasing the area under raspberries," says the president of a producer organisation in Basilicata.

In Emilia Romagna, one producer finished harvesting a few weeks ago and will start again after mid-August. Production was abundant and prices were consistently high from mid-April to early June. At the wholesale level, the producer sold raspberries between 15 and 20 €/kg. In South Tyrol (Province of Bolzano), the person responsible for a supply structure says that cultivation takes place at 800 to 1400 metres above sea level. The harvest started a few days ago and prices are satisfactory for the producers. Cultivation takes place in tunnels, protected from bad weather, and will continue until October, when the first frosts put an end to the ripening process.

The Dutch raspberry season has just begun, featuring high-quality, robust fruits. "Prices are at a very high level for Dutch products, which is positive for growers. The weather will largely determine how the season unfolds," says a trader. He reflects on a stable Moroccan season with favorable pricing for growers. "There were no major volume issues this year between weeks 8 and 13. However, the recurring question each year is whether to continue beyond the Moroccan season (week 18/19) due to the quality, particularly of the Adelita variety."

"Portugal had low volumes this year but good quality fruit. The price for Portuguese growers remains slightly higher than in other production regions," says the fruit trader. "Spain missed out on significant volumes due to water shortages, heat, and a colder early season. Additionally, the quality from Spain has not been impressive. Sometimes it feels like Spain focuses on quantity over quality, making it appealing only for the lower-end retail segment. As has been frequently noted in recent years, Spain continues to lose market share to Morocco due to factors such as water availability, labour, weather conditions, and production costs."

Raspberry harvesting and exports are much lower this season due to rain and bad weather. The raspberry harvest has started in the early regions: According to initial forecasts, around 40-50% of the yield consists of IQF fruit, normally this proportion is 60% to 80%. This will have a corresponding effect on the price, which, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and the Serbian producers' association, is around one to two euros per kilo higher than last year.

Ukraine is expecting close to a normal raspberry harvest with good fruit qualities, taking into account the war and shortages in the electricity supply. Frost damage was reported in the crucial growing stage, with the season that has started earlier than last year. There are hours without electricity, so the raw materials are mainly exported to Poland. Prices are shifting up, with a big focus on frozen raspberries for export markets.

The current season has seen challenges increase for raspberry produce in Poland. Adverse weather conditions such as frosts and droughts were leading to substantial crop losses. Growers voiced their concerns over the stagnation of purchase prices, which they claim have remained unchanged for two decades. This discrepancy occurs despite significant increases in production, energy, and fertilizer costs.

Growers are planning to block local processing plants and are calling for governmental intervention to address the influx of raspberries from Ukraine, which they argue is saturating the Polish market. Furthermore, they are advocating for transparent pricing mechanisms at collection points and processing plants to prevent exploitation.

The cultivation of raspberries has been showing declines in Spain for several campaigns, as the sector has been indicating for years, it is the berry that is the most affected by competition from non-EU suppliers.

Looking back, after years of positive development, the 2019/20 campaign marked a turning point from which the acreage in Huelva began to decline, going from the approximately 2,500 hectares to 1,380 hectares that Freshuelva announced would be cultivated in 2023/24; This acreage is even smaller than what was cultivated in the province a decade ago.

The new year-on-year decrease of 21.5% in the cultivated area in Huelva, which concentrates 98.7% of Spanish raspberry production, has also contracted exports, which in the first eight months of the campaign until April had been reduced by 26% in volume and 7% in value, compared to the previous campaign.

Morocco is the largest non-EU competitor for Spanish raspberries in the European market, although the effects of high temperatures and drought have significantly reduced local production, which had been on the rise for a decade, and in the period between September 2023 and February 2024, the volumes exported to Europe have decreased by 20% compared to the previous campaign, according to Eurostat data.

It should be noted that on the other side of the Guadiana River, the raspberries situation is very different from that on the Spanish shores. While in Huelva its cultivation has been in decline and the sector continues to bet heavily on strawberries, in Portugal the raspberry has become the most important red fruit in the sector.

With data from Portugal Fresh, the export of red fruits in Portugal has grown by 26% in the last five years, from the 233 million that were recorded in 2019 to 294 million euros in 2023. And the raspberry, making up 70% of the value of berry exports, is undoubtedly the main red fruit for the country.

"In 2023, our associated producers cultivated 166 hectares of berries, of which 111 were raspberries, 54 blackberries and only strawberries were grown on 1 hectare," they shared from an Algarve Producers Organization. "Producers, in fact, are stopping producing strawberries in the Algarve because it is not a profitable crop."

Currently on the market are raspberries from France, Spain and Portugal. The raspberry market is dynamic, with steady demand due to the return of the sun. Operators are awaiting the end of Portuguese production. There is a very slight drop in prices as a result of increased supplies in certain sectors. In eastern France, an increase in volumes is seen.

Raspberry supply is seeing a steady volume at the moment coming in from Central Mexico and Baja Mexico. The Watsonville, California season is underway and strong volumes are coming from the region. Barring any major weather events, peak volumes on raspberries are expected to span July- August. Volume is steady on raspberries and there's an expected increase for the 4th of July holiday.

Meanwhile, consumption of the popular berry continues to increase–since 2018, raspberry consumption in dollars has increased by over 15 percent. Some of this is attributed to consumers are focusing more and more on health-conscious diets.

The South African raspberry industry is not in an expanding phase and the number of raspberry hectares are low: 131 hectares. The availability of plant material is limited and growers have to import their own plant material.

The 2022/23 figures show a production of 2,456 tonnes, of which 1,228 tonnes were exported. The production window runs from November to May, with exports starting in February.

There are good export opportunities, says one of South Africa's few raspberry growers, especially with the right cultivars with a shelf life that supports exports. Markets for the country's raspberries are in the Middle East, Europe and the UK. Raspberries are locally marketed as well.

Raspberry is not a common fruit in China, the market is still limited. In the middle of China, Henan province, a small Raspberry trade conference was held on June 18th. Fengqiu town in Henan province started to grow raspberries in 1930, and the industry began to expand in 1990. Now, Fengqiu raspberry has become a geographical point of reference, and processed raspberries have been exported to the United States, Denmark, Russia, and other countries.