Despite Rich Estonian Blueberry Harvest, Stores Sell Imported Berries

Estonia's blueberry harvest this year is abundant, yet store shelves are largely filled with imported berries. Many pickers, like sisters Liisa and Laura, prefer to sell their berries independently through social networks, where they can get 6 to 10 euros per kilogram. In contrast, purchasing companies pay only 4 euros for sorted berries and 3 euros per kilogram for unsorted ones.

The sisters, who have picked berries for over a decade, describe this season as one of the best: the berries are large, juicy, and fully ripe. They sell all their harvest via Facebook groups and have seen a significant increase in customers. The company Figurata, which only buys unsorted berries, notes that the number of pickers has been declining each year.

Figurata's production manager, Vallo Vaherpuu, explains that as more people opt for direct online sales, it becomes harder to supply local berries to stores. As a result, Estonian shops carry blueberries from Finland, Sweden, Latvia, Lithuania, and even Canada – from wherever forest berries can be sourced to meet demand.