Open field strawberry season in Georgia has already started. Last week, mainly Turkish strawberries were available on the market, followed by local strawberry sales this week. Farmers are confirming a good harvest and relatively low prices ($0.58-$1.16). Yet it is only the beginning of the season, farmers fear that in a week or two the supply will reach a peak and prices will fall. The harvest is currently ongoing in Kakheti region, which was recently damaged by hail. The farmgate price of open field strawberries starts from 2 GEL ($0.58) for a second-grade quality and goes up to 4 GEL ($1.17) per kg for premium. Along with local strawberries, imported Turkish strawberries are also available on the market, the wholesale price of which ranges between 5-7 GEL/kg ($1.45-$2.05).
According to East-fruit price monitoring in 2020, the average wholesale price of strawberries in the same period was 6 GEL/kg ($1.88), while the minimum average price during the season stood at 4 GEL/kg ($1.3) at the end of May. This year’s low prices have been linked to reduced demand. Even though the strawberry season suffered due to Covid 19 Pandemic last year, farmers say that demand is even lower this year. Another factor negatively affecting the sales of local strawberries is imported cheap strawberry from Turkey, which are usually of a better quality.
It is noteworthy that local transportation is suspended throughout Georgia May 3-12, which also has a negative effect on strawberry sales. Traders might have negative expectation regarding the sales in larger cities and thus buying fewer strawberries from the growers. East-fruit will continue to monitor changes in the strawberry prices in Georgia.
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