Clouds gather over Poland’s strawberry

Bad weather, floods and rain have affected this year's strawberry pickings, driving prices up by almost 200 percent.

Currently, markets in Warsaw offer a punnet of strawberries for between 7-10 zloty (1.7-2.4 euro).

The bad weather has also meant that there are less strawberries available than in 2009, although experts' opinions differ as to the extent of the fruit's decline.

A fruit market expert, Prof. Eberhard Makosz told the press that Poland's strawberry yield this year will amount to around 150,000 tons, a drop of 45,000 tons on 2009.

The expert added that the lack of strawberries may cause problems for fruit processing plants in 2010.

Companies buying up strawberries in bulk for frozen products currently pay 2.4-2.8 zloty per kilogram, a hike of 200 percent on 2009 prices, which amounted to 1.4 zloty per kg.

Dr. Bozena Nosecka, a specialist from the Institute of Agricultural and Food Economics in Warsaw, believes that the purchasing price of strawberries does not only depend on the size of the yield, but also thanks to the food producers' strawberry stockpiles.

"Reserves are low, and demand has grown due to the better economic situation in [fruit] exports," Nosecka claims, adding that strawberry prices may still rise due to the lack of other fruit pickings this season.

Strawberry season has hit central and eastern Poland, with northern regions expecting to harvest their yields in the near future. Experts estimate that the season will last for a further two weeks, depending on the weather.