This year, the strawberry harvest began earlier and faster than in other years, strawberry growers interviewed told LETA. Guntars Dzerve, agronomist of the Augusta zemenes brand, says that this year the strawberry harvest is good due to the intense heat, but strawberries in this case Fruits too quickly. Lowering the temperature may improve the situation. The total harvest is not yet known, but Augusta Strawberries plans to harvest strawberries through October. Crane also noted that the current extreme heat could lead to pests in the fields. For example, thrips, which can cause significant damage to the yield potential of strawberries and increase costs. However, he emphasized that the season has just begun, and if the farm has irrigation facilities, then drought should not be disastrous. The agronomist noted that the price depends on the volume of local strawberries, supply and demand in the market. He predicts the price of strawberries will fall this year during the busy season, but will not be significantly lower than last year. During the active season, the price of strawberries will remain between 3.50-5.50 euros per kilogram, but after the end of the active season the price will increase. Mālpils zemenes reported that strawberry production this year will be faster than in other years, but the harvest will likely be smaller than last year. The duration of the harvest and the ripening period of strawberries depend on the heat. Therefore, according to Mālpils zemenes forecasts, due to the heat, late varieties of strawberries may begin to ripen two weeks earlier. Last year, the strawberry harvest lasted until the beginning of August, but this year it could end as early as the end of July, representatives of the Malpils Zemstvo predict. The harvest usually lasts about a month, but this year it may be shorter. Due to the intense heat, strawberries ripen faster – in about two to three weeks. In addition, in the heat, the berries quickly turn red and become smaller in size. In constant heat, seedlings quickly drop flowers and the berries ripen before they reach their potential size. Mālpils zemenes said that one of the enterprise’s early strawberry varieties overwintered poorly on two hectares of land, and the seedlings did not have time to sprout leaves. Therefore, this year the seedlings are weaker and there will be fewer berries. In addition, early frosts and hail could reduce potential yield by approximately 10%. If hail hits strawberry flowers, the berries produced on them may be of poor quality. In addition, prolonged rains and constant heat can damage the berries, since prolonged moisture promotes the development of rot, and prolonged heat leads to the appearance of pests, premature ripening and decreased quality. The company also emphasized that the sweetness of the berries comes from the contrast between warm days and cool nights. For this reason, strawberries grown in Latvia are usually sweeter than those grown abroad. However, in recent years the temperature contrast has decreased significantly, and the berries are no longer as sweet as they were several years ago. Representatives of the strawberry industry also emphasized that currently there is a labor shortage in all sectors, and Malpils Strawberry is no exception. Representatives of the Šalmīšu zemenes farm, in turn, said that after heavy rains and thunderstorms, almost the entire early strawberry crop was lost. Hail and drought also negatively affected the harvest. Farmers predict that late strawberries will be ready in about one to two weeks. Late varieties of strawberries suffered from spring frosts, but this did not greatly affect the plants.
