Strawberry fun in Klein Schirma: Pick your own until next week!

Strawberry fun in Klein Schirma: Pick your own until next week!

Well, do you fancy fresh strawberries? If you're in the Kleinschirma area, you're in luck! There you will have the opportunity to pick your own strawberries for a few more days. Operators of the popular “Erdbeeren Funck” plantation recently confirmed that the season is still going on. So you can expect a fruity treat on the B 173 in the next few days, as [freipresse.de](https://www.freipresse.de/mittelsachsen/freiberg/erdbeeren-in-kleinschirma-auch-naechste-woche-kann-noch-gepflueckt- Werden-artikel13864274) reports.

The 2023 strawberry harvest in Germany has developed consistently positively, even if the joy of Bavarian fruit growers is clouded. Although the quality of the strawberries is high and the quantity is right, the costs for fertilizers, energy and packaging materials have risen massively. Another pressure factor is the increased minimum wage for harvest workers, which will be raised to 12 euros from October. This has a negative impact on profit margins because the sales prices of local fruits are far from covering costs, as fraenkischertag.de explains.

Direct marketing as a survival strategy

For many farmers, direct marketing is the only way to increase prices and keep business going. In the Swabia region, things are going well for the self-picking fields, while things are looking rather poor in Lower Bavaria. Overall, manufacturers are recording regional demand this year that has stabilized compared to the Corona years, although not always at the usual level.

However, the optimal vegetation in many regions, supported by rapid warming, ensures that the harvest is usually terrific. However, it remains unclear how the situation will develop in the coming years, as forecasts expect a decline in strawberry cultivation, which also applies to other specialty crops. The 12,500 hectare cultivated area in Germany faces major challenges, particularly with regard to sustainability and social aspects, which must also be taken into account during marketing.

It's the quality that counts

Another aspect is the production costs, which will make German fruit growers sweat a lot in 2023. These higher costs, coupled with an occasional drop in prices, for example for apples, and reduced consumer purchasing power do not make life any easier. Against this background, the importance of regional products is becoming increasingly clear, both for biodiversity and for the preservation of different types of fruit.

In view of the challenges in the fruit growing industry, it is important to also point out the safety when using plant protection products. Wearing personal protective equipment has been mandatory since 2018. This underlines the urgently needed protection of workers and the efforts to keep the health of everyone involved in mind, as myagrar.de states.

So there's a lot going on this year. Whether in the Klein Schirma district while leisurely picking strawberries or in the Bavarian fields - strawberries are on everyone's lips, even if some conditions are challenging. If you would like to pick the fresh berries yourself, you should take advantage of the opportunity while it is still possible!