«We expect prices to develop at approximately the same level as last year, but with higher costs. However, we hope to be able to compensate for this with higher harvest volumes,” said Widmann. Demand, he said, is again moving in a good direction. “We started early enough with commercials, which is essential for marketing. In the past, there was a gap in the last two weeks of June. But this year, promotions are off to a good start.”

Bavarian blueberries are grown on 50 hectares near Aichach and are marketed in Bavaria, while Romanian products are sold in Romania and some in Germany and Austria. The fat blues from Lüneburger Heide are in turn distributed throughout Germany.

20 percent more blueberries from all three regions

For Romanian blueberries there are good areas with enough pickers available, as well as good to very good climatic conditions, says Widmann. "In Romania, we have already been harvesting for two weeks, so the Romanian product is the first to reach the market after the Spanish season, before moving on to the German one," says Widmann.

«Our affiliated producers in the Lüneburger Heide region, which are managed by Nordgemüse Krogmann & Co.,
They will also begin outdoor harvesting this week. As there was no frost, neither in Germany nor in Romania, we expect full yields this year. "We expect around 20 percent more blueberries from Lüneburger Heide, Bavaria and Romania."

About the commercialization of blueberries
«Marketing Bavarian blueberries in Bavaria is much easier because we can market them regionally. Unfortunately, this is not possible on Lüneburg Heath in this way. Our producers would like to see the 'German origin' highlighted and given more appreciation," says Widmann. In the trade, the local product is found in small formats, while the large formats are used for foreign products, such as Romanian or also blueberries from Poland, which will begin in two weeks. "The costs of German products are noticeably higher, but unfortunately this is not rewarded in terms of price."

However, the berry specialist wonders why Peruvian blueberries are already on the shelves. "When it is high season in Europe and large quantities are already sold from countries such as Germany, Romania and Poland, we do not need more blueberries from Peru, packaged in 125 gram trays." Especially since the local product is mainly sold in 500 gram trays, which, according to Widmann, is more sustainable and profitable.

Dominant variety: Duke
Herbert Widmann also buys additional products from Serbia; the Serbian season lasts about three weeks and the early Duke variety hits the markets around the same time as the Romanian products. According to Widmann, the Duke variety also dominates in Germany and Romania. “This is an early variety that has a lot of yield and is of good quality. However, late varieties like Drapers and Last Call are also becoming more popular,” Widmann concludes.