This year, the harvest starts some 10 days later compared to previous seasons, when it started in mid-April.
Apart from the delay in the ripening, the farms also complain about a lack of the workforce. In recent years, a considerable number of young people from the Dalmatian hinterland left their towns and villages for Western economies. Despite the labour shortage problem, local farms are unwilling to raise the pay per hour for strawberry pickers from HRK 20 (EUR 2.7) to HRK 25 (EUR 3.3).
The wholesale price of strawberries is HRK 20 per kilo, while the retail price in shops reaches HRK 35.
In 2017, 1.5 million strawberry plants cultivated in Vrgorac
Last year, the strawberry yield in that region known for cultivating strawberries was excellent.
In addition, during 2016 a total of 3,383 tonnes of this fruit was harvested in Croatia, a record high in the previous 26 years, according to figures provided by the national statistical office.
(EUR 1 = HRK 7.4)