Finns sell record berries directly to each other as prices soar

Finns are selling wild berries in unprecedented numbers this summer, driven by soaring prices, according to Yle.

Marja-alan yritykset paid an average of €1.55 per litre for wild blueberries last year, but this year’s advance price for unprocessed berries has reached €4.50 per litre. Pickers can now earn €200–300 per day.

At a Lappeenranta parking lot, around ten cars lined up to sell kilos of blueberries and chanterelles to Dalla Valle, a berry-buying company operating a truck for cash purchases. Soili Toura, a local picker, estimated it takes about 45 minutes to fill one 10-litre bucket. She and her husband have earned around €1,000 per week, forgoing other work to focus on foraging.

Only 123 foreign berry pickers entered Finland this summer, compared to thousands in previous years. Toura noted the shortage is visible in the abundance of berries left unpicked.

Dalla Valle, which has bought wild berries directly from pickers for over 30 years, reports a threefold increase in sellers at its 70 purchase points. CEO Loreno Dalla Valle said pickers are responding to the high prices: “Finns will pick when the price is right.”

Online marketplace Tori.fi has also seen a surge. By late July, blueberry listings had already reached 3,000—half of last year’s total—with 50,000 searches from buyers. Cloudberry listings have already surpassed last year’s total, with 1,500 posted so far. Jenni Tuomisto, Finland director for Tori.fi, expects this to be a record year for direct berry sales.

Specialised berry-selling sites like marjanetti.fi, launched this spring, and local Facebook groups are also facilitating trade. Prices for processed blueberries on Tori.fi have remained stable, with 10 litres selling for about €50.