Germany’s open-field strawberry harvest falls to lowest level since 1995
Germany expects to harvest 71,300 tonnes of open-field strawberries in 2026, down 11.3% from 2025 and the lowest volume since 1995. The asparagus harvest is forecast at 100,300 tonnes, 3.4% below last year, as cultivated area continues to contract.
Strawberry output drops 11.3%
Germany’s open-field strawberry harvest is expected to fall to its lowest level since 1995 in 2026, reflecting a further contraction in cultivated area. Farmers are forecast to collect 71,300 tonnes, according to figures from the Federal Statistical Office reported by Die Zeit and Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung.
The projected volume is 11.3% below the 2025 harvest and almost one-quarter below the average recorded from 2020 through 2025. The comparison points to a decline extending beyond the normal variation of a single growing season and reduces the volume available to German fresh-produce buyers during the domestic harvest window.
Lower output follows another reduction in the area devoted to open-field strawberries. The planted area declined by 2.9% from 2025 to 7,830 hectares. It is now 18.5% below the average for the previous six years, confirming a longer-term retreat from the crop.
Farm economics shape planting decisions
The reports identify shrinking cultivation as the principal reason for the smaller harvest. Farmers decide how much land to allocate partly on the basis of expected sales opportunities and harvesting costs. That calculation is especially important for strawberries and asparagus because both crops require substantial labor inputs.
The statistics do not provide farmgate, wholesale or retail prices, so the direct price effect cannot yet be quantified. However, an 11.3% annual reduction in domestic open-field strawberry supply leaves processors, wholesalers and retailers with less locally grown fruit to procure. Their response will depend on demand, alternative production systems and the availability of supplies from outside the domestic open-field segment.
Lower Saxony remains Germany’s leading production region for strawberries. Its 2026 open-field crop is forecast at 18,100 tonnes, but that would represent an 18.0% decline from 2025. The regional decrease is therefore steeper than the national contraction, despite the state retaining first place in output.
Asparagus harvest also declines
Germany’s asparagus harvest is estimated at 100,300 tonnes in 2026, down 3.4% from the previous year and 10.3% below the 2020-2025 average. The area under asparagus decreased by 1.5% compared with 2025, a smaller contraction than for strawberries but still part of the pressure on national production.
Lower Saxony is also the country’s largest asparagus-growing region. Farmers there are expected to harvest 21,000 tonnes in 2026, an increase of 5.4% from 2025. This contrasts with the national decline and indicates that production performance differs materially by region. For buyers, the figures imply tighter overall German availability, while Lower Saxony may account for a larger share of domestic asparagus supply.
