Strawberry thieves: Farmers introduce minimum quantities to prevent snacking!

Strawberry thieves: Farmers introduce minimum quantities to prevent snacking!

The popular self-picking of strawberries is also very popular in northern Germany. But local strawberry farms are increasingly faced with a serious problem: many visitors order large quantities of the juicy fruit directly from the fields, while paying only small quantities. This has prompted farmers to introduce measures to curb abuse. Loud World Tilman Keller from the Fruit Growing Experiments Ring criticizes the economic challenges that arise from this situation.

In order to respond to rising costs and loss of income, several supermarkets in Schleswig-Holstein have now introduced rules that include minimum purchase quantities or entry fees. This is a measure that more and more strawberry farms in the region are implementing to minimize the economic damage. The reports similarly Food Practice that farmers emphasize that snacking while picking is allowed, but only in moderation.

Minimum purchase and entry fees

At the Ingenhof in Malente-Malkwitz, for example, there is an entry credit of five euros for adults and three euros for children aged five and over. This credit is then offset against the quantity actually picked. For a family with two children, the total amount is 12 euros. The price per kilogram of strawberries is 5.90 euros. Other farms such as the Glantz strawberry farm in Delingsdorf have also introduced similar minimum picking quantities: here, adults have to take at least one kilogram of strawberries home with them. The Schwalehof in Bönebüttel takes a similar approach by also requiring a minimum purchase of one kilogram per person. Hesse show emphasizes that these regulations are supported by the Schleswig-Holstein Chamber of Agriculture as economically understandable.

However, some farmers, like Constantin Kaack from the Kaack strawberry farm, are skeptical about the entry fees. He fears this will deter honest customers and sees the need to hire more staff to carry out the checks as an additional burden. Melanie Engel from Ingenhof reports on disappointing experiences in which families only brought 300 grams of strawberries to the checkout after they had eaten their fill on site.

The reactions of visitors

The topic also sparks discussion among visitors. While many people understand the minimum purchase, some would like a smaller quantity so that they don't have to carry excess strawberries home. A mother with her sons said she planned to process the freshly picked strawberries afterwards, which shows that not all visitors come to the fields just to feast. Others, like farmer Andreas Damm, who has also introduced a minimum picking quantity of one kilo, report increasing abuse and an increasing number of visitors who arrive in groups and buy little while at the same time indulge in snacking.

The meeting between agriculture and leisure activities is therefore in full swing: while the loving “berry pickers” continue to flock to the fields, the farms are struggling to stay economically afloat. The coming strawberry season will show how these new measures are received by customers.