Strawberry prices soar in Finland amid poor harvest and high demand

Yle reports that the price of strawberries has surged this summer due to a poor harvest in southern Finland. In Northern Finland, harvesting has just begun, but there is little hope for relief from the current strawberry shortage. At Yrjänä Berry Farm in Pyhännän Tavastkengällä, owner Kaisaleena Yrjänä indicates that this year’s overall yield will fall to less than half of last year’s crop. “The demand is enormous, and we cannot meet it in any way,” she stated. Winter damage wiped out some varieties on the farm, but harvests from this season’s newly planted seedlings are expected to begin next week, barring heavy rains. Conditions may allow for picking to continue until mid-August.

In Lumijoki, half of the strawberries have already been harvested. Last autumn’s floods were the worst in 60 years, leading to significant crop destruction at Lännentila. CEO Klaus Karjula mentioned that entire fields were lost, and corrective measures will start next spring, though he anticipates next year will be another poor strawberry year across Finland. The farm stopped accepting strawberry orders weeks ago, with over half of the yield already collected; picking is expected to continue for another three weeks.

In Keminmaa, Teemu Alatalo, who has cultivated strawberries for over 20 years, expects a very weak harvest this year, citing both last autumn’s rains and winter plant losses as culprits. His farm currently has no pickers, relying on self-picking, with prices reaching €9.50 per kilogram. Facing heightened demand but limited supply, he mentions they’ve already planted 10,000 frozen new seedlings to replace those lost last winter. At Pekkala Farm in Rovaniemi, harvesting started after mid-July, and while the strawberry size may be smaller, they maintain good flavor.