He says raspberries have suffered in the winter frost and died in many places in Latvia. Raspberries have also been affected by the different and changing weather conditions in spring and early summer when some places experienced drought. “This means there will be fewer raspberries grown on the field this year, as well as the quality of berries will have been affected by the weather,” explains the board chairman.
Lazdiņš said that a better raspberry harvest has given way to fruit growers who grow berries in tunnels because they make it easier to control growth conditions.
Raspberry season has already started in Latvia and local raspberries are available in stores. “Berry growers will try to keep the price of raspberries at last year's level, despite increasing growing costs, losses, and this year's increased value-added tax rate from 5% to 12% for fruits and vegetables of Latvia,” Lazdiņš noted.
