Preliminary estimates indicate that agricultural operations in Germany will harvest 11.3% fewer outdoor strawberries in 2026 compared to 2025, totaling 71,300 tons down from 80,400 tons. According to data released by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) on Monday, this forecast would place the average harvest volume for the period 2020 to 2025 at a quarter (24.5%) below the average, and register the lowest volume since 1995 (when it was 68,800 tons). A primary factor for this reduced strawberry yield is the decrease in cultivated land; the area shrank by 2.9% compared to the previous year, moving from 8,060 hectares to 7,830 hectares. This same decline represents an 18.5% reduction when measured against the six-year average spanning 2020 to 2025. Regionally, Lower Saxony is expected to yield the largest amount of outdoor strawberries in 2026, at 18,100 tons (an 18.0% decrease), followed by North Rhine-Westphalia with 14,600 tons (down 13.4%), and Baden-Württemberg, which is projected to increase its harvest by 6.8% at 13,500 tons.
Regarding asparagus, the expected harvest for 2026 is estimated at 100,300 tons, which is 3.4% lower than the 103,900 tons harvested in 2025. This translates to a 10.3% reduction compared to the 2020-2025 average harvest volume (111,800 tons) and marks the lowest yield since 2010 (92,400 tons). The cultivation area for asparagus is expected to shrink only slightly in 2026, dropping from 19,200 hectares in 2025 to 18,900 hectares, a 1.5% decrease compared to the previous year, suggesting that the recent trend of diminishing asparagus cultivation is beginning to slow down. Lower Saxony is predicted to produce the most asparagus in 2026 with 21,000 tons, marking a 5.4% increase from 2025. This is closely followed by Bavaria, at 20,100 tons (a 3.0% decrease), and Brandenburg, with 18,500 tons (a 2.4% decrease).
