Egyptian frozen strawberries gain weight in Poland’s processing market
Poland produced about 151,000 tonnes of strawberries in 2025, while imports of frozen strawberries from Egypt reached about 62,000 tonnes. The competitively priced Egyptian supply gives processors another sourcing option, but some buyers do not accept it.
Egyptian supply reaches significant scale
Frozen strawberries from Egypt have become an important source of raw material for Poland’s fruit-processing industry, adding price competition to a market traditionally supplied by domestic farms. Poland produced about 151,000 tonnes of strawberries in 2025, while its imports of frozen strawberries from Egypt reached about 62,000 tonnes, according to figures cited by Dawtona.
The two volumes are not directly comparable as market shares. The Polish figure covers the country’s total strawberry production, whereas the Egyptian figure covers imports of frozen fruit from one country. Nevertheless, the data illustrate the scale of Egypt’s presence in a major European fruit-producing and processing market.
Lower prices divide buyers and suppliers
Andrzej Gajowniczek, president of OLV S.A. and the National Association of Fruit and Vegetable Processors, told Portal Spożywczy that strawberries are about 20% cheaper this season than a year earlier. This contrasts with raspberries and currants, whose prices have risen sharply. Egyptian strawberries remain cheaper and their prices are stable, strengthening processors’ ability to seek alternatives when domestic supplies become expensive or limited.
Price alone, however, does not determine purchasing decisions. Gajowniczek said many customers do not accept Egyptian strawberries. The reasons were not specified, but the constraint means processors cannot treat imported fruit as a complete substitute for Polish raw material. Customer requirements therefore divide the market between buyers able to use lower-priced imports and those that must retain domestic sourcing.
Domestic fruit remains the industry’s foundation
Poland is also a major producer of cherries, currants and apples, and ranks among the world’s leading producers of several fruit species depending on the crop and harvest size. Michał Żak, Dawtona’s raw-material director, said a significant portion of domestic harvests goes to processing, which relies primarily on Polish fruit. Frozen strawberries are a notable exception because imports play a substantial role.
For processors, the Egyptian supply broadens the pool of available raw materials and can influence prices paid for Polish strawberries intended for freezing. For growers, that creates direct competition from a source with lower and more stable prices. Yet the lack of universal customer acceptance preserves a market for Polish fruit even when the imported alternative is cheaper.
Stocks offer only limited protection
Inventories provide little additional insulation from crop shortages and price volatility. Żak said stocks of frozen fruit and concentrates from previous seasons can partly cushion a weaker harvest, but their stabilising capacity is limited when raw-material availability falls substantially. Gajowniczek reported that there were no major carry-over stocks apart from cherry and apple concentrate.
Julia Wójcik, brand development manager at Vortumnus, told Portal Spożywczy that cold stores have lacked enough raw material for several years to build substantial inventories. She also said stock prices are usually adjusted to current market conditions, limiting their ability to stabilise costs. Apples were the exception, with more product left from the previous season. Poland’s processors therefore have two partial safeguards—imports and stocks—but neither fully removes supply or price risk. In frozen strawberries, Egyptian fruit has become commercially important, while buyer specifications continue to set the practical limit on substitution.
