Polish berry production is shifting from a model based primarily on acreage and volumes towards more controlled systems focused on quality, continuity of supply and shelf life. This transformation will be at the heart of Berry Forum 2026.
Over the past twenty years, Poland has strengthened its role in European berry production. The change concerns not only output, but also the technologies, varieties and cultivation systems adopted by growers.
Tunnels, fertigation, gutter or container cultivation, precision irrigation, crop monitoring and microclimate management are becoming increasingly common on professional farms. Growers are no longer simply managing a field, but are seeking to control the entire environment in which the plant develops.
Production approaches 474,000 tonnes
According to estimates included in material released by Jagodnik, approximately 122,700 hectares were devoted to berries in Poland in 2025, with production reaching around 474,000 tonnes.
Strawberries accounted for approximately 27,600 hectares, raspberries for 17,000 hectares and highbush blueberries for around 12,500 hectares. According to the figures presented by Jagodnik, the area planted with blueberries increased by almost 29% between 2020 and 2025, while production rose by approximately 15%.
During the same period, the areas devoted to strawberries and raspberries reportedly declined or stabilised. This trend is interpreted not simply as a contraction in production, but as a shift towards higher-quality fruit for the fresh market, longer shelf life and more carefully scheduled harvest periods.
Strawberries and raspberries move under tunnels
The change is particularly evident in strawberry and raspberry production. According to the estimates provided, approximately 1,500 hectares of fresh-market strawberries and 1,600 hectares of raspberries are grown under tunnels in Poland, with new structures being built every year.
For soil-grown strawberries under tunnels, the material indicates yields of between 20 and 25 tonnes per hectare. Gutter systems can exceed 50 tonnes per hectare and, on the most technologically advanced farms, reach up to 100 tonnes per hectare. Modern raspberry systems are associated with yields of between 15 and 30 tonnes per hectare of fruit intended for the fresh market.
These figures are reported by the source, but the document does not provide details about the sample or the methodology used to calculate them. The stated objective is not simply to increase yields, but to obtain uniform fruit capable of withstanding distribution and being available during the market windows in which it is required.
Automation and data in the next phase
Climate variability, labour availability and costs, retail requirements and pressure on margins are pushing farms towards more precise management. Automation, robotics, digital monitoring, artificial intelligence and decision-support systems are identified by Jagodnik as tools likely to play a growing role.
The scale of national production and the presence of specialised farms could also allow Poland to test new solutions directly at commercial scale. The country is therefore positioning itself not only as a supplier to the European market, but also as a place where innovations in berry production can be applied.
Berry Forum 2026 scheduled for November
These topics will be discussed at Berry Forum 2026 – the 3rd International Strawberry and Raspberry Conference, scheduled for 25–26 November 2026 at the MCC Mazurkas Conference Centre & Hotel in Ożarów Mazowiecki, near Warsaw.
According to the programme presented by the organisers, the event will bring together strawberry and raspberry growers, researchers, advisers and technology companies. The announced topics include varieties, protected cultivation, fertigation, root-zone management, crop protection, automation, fruit quality, production economics and changing market requirements.
The theme chosen for the 2026 edition, “Berry Transformation. From Science to Practice”, summarises the event’s stated objective: transferring scientific knowledge and technologies that can be applied on farms into production practice.
More information: berryforum.pl
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