The first Lithuanian-grown strawberries of the year are being harvested in greenhouses, marking the start of the 2025 strawberry season, though cooler spring weather is keeping yields low and prices high.
In Anykščiai, growers at the Anykščių Daržovės farm began picking strawberries in early May – about a week earlier than last year – with heated greenhouses producing about a ton of berries per day.
“Each plant has its own irrigation system,” said farm manager Paulius Andriejavas. “We lower the temperature at night to stimulate sugar production and ripening. During the day, we raise it to 16 degrees Celsius and reduce it to 8 at night. We grow year-round and harvest two crops per season.”
Strawberries are also ripening earlier than usual in northern Lithuania. Farmers in the Joniškis district say they rely exclusively on greenhouses due to increasingly unpredictable spring weather.
“We had thought about moving some strawberries outdoors, but last spring was too cold,” said Dovydas Degimas, owner of the Sodo Uogos farm. “This year, the frosts have been just as tough. It’s too risky, so we’re sticking with greenhouses.”
So far, locally grown strawberries have not yet reached northern Lithuania’s markets, with growers instead selling directly from farms. The limited supply means prices remain steep – up to €12 per kilogram or more.
“We started at €12 per kilogram, same as last year,” said Sonata Degimienė, co-owner of Sodo Uogos. “Some others charge more, but we didn’t raise our price. It will come down, but it depends on the market. Last year, outdoor berries arrived quickly and prices dropped fast – we had to cut our price in half for the last greenhouse batch.”
Growers across the country say competing with imported berries remains difficult. Higher energy and labour costs – especially for heated winter production – drive up local prices.
“It costs more to grow strawberries here,” Andriejavas said. “You need heating in winter, and labour is expensive. But customers value the quality. These early strawberries aren’t for jam – people buy them for the taste, for the kids to enjoy.”
Despite the early harvest, many producers face labour shortages. With demand for reliable help throughout the year, farms often employ workers full-time rather than seasonally.
“This isn’t just a seasonal job,” said greenhouse worker Virginija Šerepėkienė. “When strawberry picking ends, we move on to other tasks – prepping the plants for winter, then working with tomatoes and cucumbers.”
The open-field strawberry season is expected to begin in June, later than usual due to the unseasonably cool weather. Lithuania’s strawberry season typically runs for several months, bringing a gradual transition from greenhouse to field-grown berries.
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