100% Croatian? Strawberry labels mislead as imports flood markets

As strawberry season reaches its peak in Croatia, confusion and frustration are ripening among consumers and local producers.

As daily Večernji list reports, despite signs on nearly every fruit stall claiming strawberries are “100% domestic”, industry insiders warn that many of these berries are actually imported – mostly from Greece.

According to Milan Franić, former president of the Vrgorac Strawberry Association, Greek strawberries are dominating the market this season, often sold in transparent containers as “Vrgorac” produce without the official logo to prove their origin.

He says the price drop from €4-5 to €2.50–3.50 per basket in Zagreb markets is a sign of high import volume.

While vendors claim the Greek season is over, Franić told Večernji list otherwise: “It’s in full swing. They’re being picked cheaply and brought here for under €2 per kilo.”

Croatia’s strawberry production is struggling. Weather conditions have slashed Vrgorac’s output to just 500 tonnes – barely enough for local demand.

Franić adds that annual national production only covers about 20 days of consumption, yet nearly all strawberries on the market are labelled as Croatian, from regions like Vrgorac, Neretva or Zagreb.

Meanwhile, Zagreb’s “Jagodice purgerice” and members of the Jagodni Prsten association also report falling production, down by over 250,000 seedlings compared to past years.

Željko Varga, the group’s president, blames increased competition from resellers and lack of support events, as well as labour shortages.

Other summer fruits are beginning to appear, including Moroccan watermelons and imported cantaloupes. Local watermelon producers in Neretva expect to begin their harvest after 15 June, though they remain concerned about extreme weather and cheap imports.

Neven Mataga, vice-president of the Croatian Fruit Association, says farmers still await government compensation for last year’s drought and warns that mismanaged subsidies and lack of oversight are driving many out of the sector.

“If the state helped real producers, we could multiply output. Instead, it doesn’t even know who’s actually farming.”