Asparagus is sprouting, strawberries are suffering: farmers are hoping for urgent rain!

Asparagus is sprouting, strawberries are suffering: farmers are hoping for urgent rain!

The asparagus and strawberry season is in full swing, but the ongoing drought poses major challenges for farmers. How HNA reports, the asparagus season in Germany started in mid-April and the first strawberries have been ready to harvest for a few days. While warm temperatures and drought have positive effects on the asparagus crop, these conditions have a negative impact on the strawberry crop.

Jörg Stiehl, a farmer from the region, is optimistic about the asparagus harvest, which has recorded higher sales figures than last year. The prices for asparagus are currently between 8.20 euros and 15.90 euros per kilo. In contrast, the lower rainfall produces smaller strawberries, the price of which is currently 8.60 euros per kilo. Kai Opfermann from Kirchberg emphasizes that the strawberries urgently need rain so that the harvest can improve.

Harvest conditions and effects of drought

The effects of drought are particularly noticeable for strawberry farmers. In Bavaria, like BR reports, farmers like Claudia Westner from Haslangkreit are dependent on additional irrigation because strawberries have shallow roots and roots living on the ground cannot find enough moisture. Although the effort required for irrigation is high, risks such as frost damage and the need for foil houses for strawberry crops threaten the long-term viability of outdoor cultivation.

The problems are not just limited to Bavaria. Many farmers in Brandenburg are also concerned about the potentially poor harvests of fruit, vegetables and grain as a result of the drought. How RBB reports, soils averaged just 14 liters of rain per square meter in April, while farmers need five times that. In Brandenburg, however, the asparagus harvest and the conditions for it have started relatively well, as the deep roots of the plants can still use water from the winter. However, there are currently fears of a temporary supply bottleneck due to frost-related damage to green asparagus.

Outlook for the harvest

Despite the difficult weather conditions, many farmers plan to open their home-picked strawberry fields. In Kirchberg, the self-picking field opens next weekend, with opening hours Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on weekends from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Home-picked strawberries cost 3.50 euros per kilo. The strawberry harvest in Schönborn starts on May 30th and farmers are hoping for rain soon to ensure the quality and quantity of the harvest.

The current challenges clearly show how dependent agriculture is on the weather. Continuous monitoring of weather conditions and adjustments to cultivation techniques will be essential in the future to mitigate the adverse effects of drought on crop yields.