Agriculture Strawberries suffer from the wet weather

The wet weather this year has also affected Swiss strawberries. By mid-July, their harvest was five percent down on the same month last year. However, the strong return of summer could still make up for this.

"The current summer temperatures and sunny days are contributing to the good quality of the berries. Our producers will probably be harvesting strawberries until the end of September, albeit in protected cultivation and no longer in the open field," Chantale Meyer from the Swiss Fruit Association told the Keystone-SDA news agency. The actual impact of the wet weather can only be assessed once the harvest is complete.

According to Meyer, strawberries grown outdoors suffered particularly badly from the heavy rain. However, the effects varied depending on the region and farm. At a national level, the situation has evened out somewhat. In any case, effective crop protection is "crucial" for Swiss fruit growing.

Not all crops and types of fruit are affected to the same extent, and there are sometimes considerable differences depending on the region or type of cultivation. The fruit association does not yet have any harvest estimates for pome fruit. There are still many influencing factors before the harvest in two to three months, said Meyer. However, she expects the plum harvest to be very good.