"Organic strawberries usually hit the market in the beginning of January, and leave it at the beginning of June. The selling price on the market is approximately 20% higher than that of ordinary strawberries. The main reason for this price difference is the wide spectrum of varieties, the output and varying costs, and the time needed to grow them. Growing organic strawberries takes a long time, and pesticides and fertilizers cannot be used. Manually preventing insects and diseases absorbs a lot of labor, and the output is less than that of conventionally grown fruit," explains Jia Ruiliang from Ruiliang's family farm in Junan county (Linyi city, Shandong province).
"Our family farm is situated in the city of Linshi in Shandong province. We have around 17ha of organic strawberries. We mainly grow Sweet Bow strawberries. All our strawberries are sold through traditional channels or on internet platforms. We sell to supermarkets, markets and end-customers in Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Xinjiang province and other places. In comparison to last year, our selling price is somewhat higher now, after it increased by nearly 10%. The supply of strawberries on the market has slightly reduced, mainly because of the poor weather conditions."
"The cost of growing organic strawberries is rather high, but in terms of taste and safety, organic strawberries have a unique advantage. Although at the present stage some consumers have no deep understanding of organic, I still have a positive outlook on our market prospects. I believe that, following the growing awareness of food safety issues and the improving living standards, the popularity of organic strawberries will increase in the coming years."
