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They are cakes that we throw on the ground. These are the words of Laurent Dirat, a strawberry grower in the Tarn-et-Garonne region of Toulouse, France, as high temperatures above the seasonal average have caused the strawberries to ripen twice as fast as normal.
During May the farmer had to discard half of the harvest while prices continue to fall in the market.
“We can not keep up, we are overwhelmed! “I have been making strawberries for 12 years and I have never seen this condition”, says the farmer in front of his 100 thousand strawberries spread over five hectares “, he says.
Forty harvesters of all nationalities, have been in a state of war since 7 o’clock in the morning, caught between rows of strawberries. Strawberries should be selected to keep only those that have not yet ripened.
Usually, harvesters spend once a week in each row, but now they have to spend every two days.
Already in France there is talk of a cyclical crisis in terms of strawberry production, as overproduction is sending prices 20% lower than the average of the last five years.
This is also confirmed by Philippe Navarro, placed behind his fruit and vegetable stand in the center of Toulouse, as every day for 35 years.
“In the beginning I get them at a certain price for 500 grams. But after two days they start to swell and in these conditions I have to lower the price. At this price come many restaurants or preservatives, which store them all year round to make ice cream or for other purposes. ”
To combat and slow down ripening, growers irrigate strawberries more than usual, competing with the weather.
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