Strawberry grower: this year's season is unusually short

According to Ranet Roositalu, the master of Joosepi farm, media-driven concerns about Echinococcus transmission through local strawberries are exaggerated, and contamination is practically ruled out in professional plantations. However, this year's strawberry season is shaping up to be shorter than usual due to a rainy spring, spreading fungal diseases, and deepening labour shortages. The grower advises consumers to stock up on strawberries this weekend, as prices will soon rise.

Joosepi farm owner and two-time People's Farmer Ranet Roositalu confirmed on Radio 2's morning programme that recent media reports about Echinococcus transmission through local strawberries have created unjustified anxiety among consumers. In his assessment, this concern does not reflect reality when it comes to professional plantations.

On Echinococcus and hygiene

"As soon as that article came out, people went into panic," said Roositalu. He explained that the infection discussed in the study spreads through wildlife faeces, and in professional cultivation such contamination is extremely unlikely. "Professional strawberry cultivation today is surrounded by animal netting, beds are on film mulch, strawberries don't touch the soil. Essentially it's completely ruled out," he emphasised.

Roositalu also pointed to the position of Estonian University of Life Sciences scientists. "The scientists at the university have analysed those studies in exactly the same way and confirm with one voice that the Estonian strawberry is not dangerous to humans," he said. However, the grower considers it important to follow standard hygiene rules, not only for strawberries but for all garden produce.

Rainy spring damaged the harvest

Roositalu considers weather conditions a bigger concern. Although spring started favourably for producers, the flowering period coincided with heavy rainfall, which has caused widespread fungal disease. "This means that actually today across Estonia most plantations are experiencing various fungal diseases," he said.

The diseases affect crop yields and reduce the share of quality berries. Therefore, the usual approximately six-week main season may not reach full capacity this year. "The Estonian strawberry season this year is very short," noted Roositalu, and advised consumers to stock up on strawberries for winter right now, this weekend and next week, because after that prices will likely rise.

Labour shortage becomes critical

In addition to the weather, deepening labour shortages are a concern for growers. Larger strawberry plantations continue to employ mainly Ukrainian seasonal workers, but finding them becomes more difficult every year. "People don't dare come here for seasonal work anymore, because the situation back home is much worse. There's fear that relatives, spouses, sons will be sent to war and nobody dares to come," explained Roositalu.

Labour shortage means some of the harvest may be left in the field. When there are few pickers and temperatures rise to 29-30 degrees, the berries quickly become overripe. Finding local workers is also difficult; people don't want to plan their year around a one-month picking period, and it's especially hard to find labour around Midsummer, which coincides with the peak picking season.

Roositalu acknowledges that the extreme weather conditions of recent years have significantly changed agriculture, and heavy rainfall seems to be becoming the new normal. Despite all the challenges, he does not intend to give up the work. "It tends to become something of a mission," he noted.