Strawberry picking season starts in southern Croatia, 600 tonnes expected

ZAGREB, 16 April (Hina) – Strawberry picking season has begun in the Vrgorac area in southern Croatia and the Vrgorac strawberry association told a news conference on Thursday that this year 600 tonnes of high quality strawberries can be expected from local fields.

Vrgorac high-quality strawberries will already be available at farmers’ markets as of tomorrow the association’s president Milan Franić said.

According to Franić, about 600 tonnes are expected from this year’s yield which will bring in a revenue of HRK 12 million for producers in the Vrgorac area.

“We have good weather conditions and will produce a standard quality. The yield will be high and of good quality for almost all producers however 15 family farms affected by last year’s floods in Kokorići will not have any yield this year because the floods destroyed their greenhouse and crops,” said Franić.

He added the price of strawberries is HRK 25 (€3.3) per kilogram, which is far below their price in the European Union where their cost ranges from €7 to €10.

“We are happy however that Vrgorac strawberry farmers will generate a revenue of HRK 12 million for the HRK 5.6 million that they invested, which is good for Croatian circumstances. We will continue to invest in improving the quality of our strawberries of which 80% are produced in tunnel greenhouses which protect them from rain, hail and frost and guarantee they are produced without any pesticides” said Franić.