Strawberry harvest lags behind due to bad spring weather: “Bring on the sun!”

Even on Monday morning, the weather conditions in Zwaagdijk do not last. Fat drops descend from a gray cloud cover. Not exactly the ideal situation for quickly ripening strawberries in a greenhouse. And if energy prices also go through the roof, you will run into problems as a grower. Arjen and his wife Esmeralda have had to close their strawberry shop for several days, because the harvest is lagging behind compared to other years.

Had little sun

Arjen stands between his strawberry plants – filled with green, but also some dark red specimens. He points to some ripe strawberries: “They are there, just fewer than in other years. Because we had little sun in March, it all takes a bit longer. That hurts. “And of course you want to provide people with strawberries. It always gives a good feeling when you can eat strawberries on your rusk. So bring on the sun.”

High energy prices don’t help either. “We are a bit more energy efficient this year,” says Arjen. “If we start heating up a lot, a bowl of strawberries will quickly become a few euros more expensive. I don’t know if the consumer is willing to pay that.” The company generates heat via a solar boiler, among other things. “That saves us half the energy costs. But you guessed it: then you need sun. That’s how everything fits together.”

Yet there is also room for optimism, walking through one of the three greenhouses. “Look, here’s a nice red already cheek“, says Kok, pointing to a strawberry. “They grow just as well, but it all takes a little longer. We hope for better weather soon.”