Growers expect average cranberry harvest in Latvia this year
Latvian cranberry growers expect an average harvest this year, with full-scale picking not starting until October. The sector again faces labor shortages while demand continues to outstrip supply.
Cranberry growers surveyed by the LETA news agency say this year's Latvian cranberry harvest is expected to be average, though full-scale picking has not yet begun on most farms.
Gundega Sauškina, a representative of the Latvian Fruit Growers Association and head of the berry processing company Very Berry, says picking of the earliest varieties began this week, but large-scale harvesting will start around October. She believes the harvest could end up above average, though slightly smaller than last year. While winter conditions were harsh for blueberries, cranberries were protected by snow cover, and excess moisture does not harm the crop, since cranberries naturally grow in wet environments. Pest problems appeared this year in the Kurzeme region, but not in Very Berry's growing area in northeastern Latvia.
Demand outstrips supply
Sauškina notes that cranberries remain in short supply on the market because the crop has a narrow growing zone — it is sensitive to frost and blooms during the long days around Midsummer, meaning it thrives mainly in Latvia and Belarus. Competitors such as Poland lack Latvia's peat soils and must rely more heavily on mineral fertilizers. Drained peat bogs are seen as a growth opportunity for the sector, since they suit cranberry cultivation, but most belong to the state forestry company Latvijas valsts meži, discouraging growers from investing heavily in land they don't own. Building roads, electricity and irrigation systems on new fields adds further cost.
The association representative also points to a persistent labor shortage, which becomes especially acute after August 20 once students and vacationers stop being available. In Latvia, the native wild cranberry is increasingly being replaced by the more productive and nutrient-rich American large cranberry.
Other farms
Dailis Brālītis, owner of the Piesaule farm near Valdemārpils, says harvesting there will begin in mid-October once water levels in the fields drop. He expects an average harvest, adding that fewer moth larvae have affected his crop this year than last.
Jānis Bierands, owner of the Strēlnieki farm, says weather conditions near Riga were favorable this year and pests caused little damage. He too highlights a severe labor shortage, noting that growers with harvesting combines are in a better position than those who rely on manual pickers.
