Raspberry growers in Poland are voicing their concerns over the stagnation of purchase prices, which they claim have remained unchanged for two decades. This discrepancy occurs despite significant increases in production, energy, and fertilizer costs. The current season has exacerbated these challenges, with adverse weather conditions such as frosts and droughts leading to substantial crop losses.
Krzysztof Chmiel from the Lublin Raspberry Producers Association highlighted the dire situation: "Only one in 30 plantations are quite good, and the harvest will last 2-3 weeks there, and on the rest, there will be 3-4 days of picking and then the fruit is gone. So the explanation that PLN 5 is the starting price, which will increase, does not make sense. Before it increases, we will run out of fruit on the bushes." Chmiel's statement underscores the urgency for a resolution.
Growers are not only planning to block local processing plants but are also calling for governmental intervention to address the influx of raspberries from Ukraine, which they argue is saturating the Polish market. Furthermore, they are advocating for transparent pricing mechanisms at collection points and processing plants to prevent exploitation.
The dissatisfaction extends beyond raspberry producers. Strawberry farmers have also demonstrated against low purchase prices, compounded by labor shortages and competition from imported fruits. With the agricultural sector mobilizing for change, there are plans for a demonstration in Warsaw to prompt immediate action from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
Source: agroberichtenbuitenland.nl