It is early August and the raspberry crop in Serbia is almost finished. The Lummen, Belgium-headquartered Dirafrost team operating in that country is coping with difficult circumstances, as the quality of raw material is considerably less than last year. On top of that, stiff competition is coming from the fresh market, where demand is rising.
The bottom line for processors and buyers of IQF raspberries is higher prices.
The problem in Serbia began with heavy rainfall and even snow in some areas of country from mid-April to mid-May. This damaged raspberry plants and broke branches in the upper hills. Low temperatures together with rain prevented normal growth.
Harvest Season Nears in Poland
As for Poland, the IQF raspberry season will likely start in mid-August. Following a strawberry crop that was set with far too optimistic expectations, Polish processors are cautious about making predictions for availability of frozen raspberries at this time.
