Austria’s blueberry harvest is set to begin soon, with weather conditions over recent weeks playing a key role in shaping the season.
According to Manfred Schneider, a grower with more than 15 years of experience in the industry and a specialist in organic blueberry production in Austria, the warm temperatures recorded during the second half of May have accelerated crop development.
“During the last two weeks of May, we experienced very warm temperatures, so we expect the harvest to start earlier than last season,” Schneider told Blueberries News.
However, he noted that climate variability remains one of the main challenges facing growers. “Weather is always a challenge. We went from two weeks of high temperatures and dry conditions to an entire week of rainfall,” he explained.
Growth of Organic Blueberry Production
Austria’s main blueberry-producing region is located in southeastern Styria, a mountainous area that provides favorable conditions for growing high-quality fruit.
In this context, Schneider highlighted the company’s expansion plans: “We currently grow 25 hectares of organic blueberries, and our goal is to roughly double our production area over the next three to four years,” he said.
This growth has been accompanied by a commercial strategy focused on nearby markets. “At the moment, we export exclusively to Switzerland. Over the past two years, we have not had enough production volume to fully meet market demand,” he noted.
