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Growing Strawberries

By pinoyfarmer | July 25, 2007
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Noel Vock and Neil Greer, Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries

This information has been extracted from the Agrilink Strawberry Information Online CD which provides information on all aspects of growing and marketing strawberries in Queensland.

Introduction

This is a checklist of the things you need to know before you start. It will help you make the right decision about growing strawberries in a commercial capacity. The information here is brief and to the point. More detail on important areas is provided in the Agrilink Strawberry Information Online CD .

NOTE: Most strawberries are grown in the ground using a mixture of organic and manufactured fertilisers and pesticides. This is the production system referred to in ‘New grower checklist’ section of the Agrilink Strawberry Information Online CD . For growers with alternative production systems such as hydroponics and organic production, some of the information will still be relevant but it should be read in conjunction with the special notes on these systems in the CD.

An overview of the Queensland strawberry industry

Queensland grows about 500 hectares of strawberries each year, mainly along the coastal strip from Caboolture to Gympie. Small areas of strawberries are also grown further north along the coast, on the Atherton Tableland, around Brisbane, in the Lockyer Valley and on the Darling Downs and Granite Belt.

The industry supplies fruit from about May to October when the warmer winter and spring conditions of coastal Queensland enable strawberry plants to grow and produce fruit. There is little competition from the traditional temperate strawberry growing areas of southern Australia at this time. Queensland produces most of its strawberries from August to October, as climate and existing technology limit the production of significant quantities of early fruit from May to July.

Strawberries are grown from runners, which are mainly produced on special runner farms. These ‘certified’ runners are available for planting on fruit-producing farms in March/April.

Queensland produces about 75 million punnets of fruit each year, with most consigned to metropolitan wholesale markets in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide. Smaller amounts are produced for export overseas, local sales and ‘pick-your-own’ operations.

Know what you are getting into

Strawberries are a popular crop because quick returns can be made from small areas of land with relatively little capital investment. Here are the important things you need to know.

 

For these reasons, be cautious about growing strawberries. Research the subject thoroughly and do a business plan. Plant no more than 5000 plants in the first ‘learning’ season.

What you can expect to make

Yields

Experienced growers produce two to three 250 g punnets (a total of 500 to 750 g) of marketable fruit per plant per season (May to October). These figures assume an average planting density of about 40 000 to 45 000 plants per hectare. Higher yields are possible with efficient management of varieties, pests and diseases, nutrition and irrigation.

Beginner growers should expect to take a couple of seasons to achieve a yield of two to three punnets per plant.

Prices

For the Queensland production season, typically prices start at about $2.00 to $2.50  per punnet in May when fruit is scarce, declining to about 80c to $1.20 at the peak of the season in late August or early September. Higher prices are generally paid for large fruit of premium quality. Small and medium size fruit is always at the lower end of the range and is harder to sell. Fruit of low quality is difficult to sell at all times.

Current and historical capital city central market prices and throughput volumes are available from the Ausmarket Consultants group at: www.ausmarket.net.au

Gross income

Assuming an average yield of two punnets per plant and an average price throughout the season of $1.25 per punnet, a gross income of about $2.50 per plant should be achieved. This is equivalent to about $112 500 per hectare of 45 000 plants.

Production costs

A strawberry plant costs about 65 cents to establish and maintain during the season. This covers the costs of land preparation, soil fumigation, fuel, plants, fertilisers, irrigation, pest and disease control and some casual labour for planting; it does not include the cost of the grower’s own labour.

Harvesting and marketing the fruit costs about $1.50 per plant (equivalent to about 70 cents per punnet). This covers the costs of casual labour for harvesting and packing, packaging materials, refrigeration, freight and agent’s commission. About one-half to two-thirds of this cost is labour. This figure assumes that all fruit is picked and packed using casual labour and the grower supervises the operation, as would normally happen on larger farms. The costs of the grower’s own labour is not included in this calculation. On smaller farms, the farm family would provide most if not all of the labour for picking and packing, substantially reducing the harvesting and marketing costs.

On larger farms, and using these figures, production and marketing costs would total $2.10 per plant for the average two punnet yield described above. This equates to about $95 000 per hectare with a planting density of 45 000 plants per hectare. Fixed costs (rates, depreciation and taxes) are not included.

Gross margin

The gross margin (income after production and marketing costs) for the scenario described here is about 40 cents per plant or $18 000 per hectare of 45 000 plants. No allowance has been made for fixed costs, loan repayments or living expenses.

The capital you need

Excluding the cost of house, land and farm vehicles, you would need about $50 000 to buy essential equipment for a small (10 000 to 20 000 plant) farm. This would cover the cost of a small tractor, rotary hoe, bed-former, irrigation system, slasher and sprayer. Buying second-hand equipment could reduce costs. The figures assume undercover packing and storage is already available and a cold room will be hired.

The farm you need

Soil

Sandy loam or light clay soils are best. There should be no heavy clay or rock within 300 mm of the surface. On sandy soils, it is difficult to maintain the supply of water and nutrients to the plants. Heavy clay soils stay too wet after rain, increasing the risk of disease and reducing yields.

Climate

Strawberries can be grown anywhere in Queensland but the warmer coastal areas are preferred for commercial production. These areas allow winter and early spring production when there is little competition from other growing areas in Australia.

Care needs to be taken in the hotter north Queensland climate as some varieties perform poorly when growing conditions are too warm. This problem is offset on the Atherton Tableland where cooler conditions prevail.

Colder inland areas of south Queensland are suitable but the cropping period is shorter and confined more to spring and early summer. This reduces potential profitability as this fruit competes with that from southern Australian states which is grown at lower cost.

In all areas where frosts are likely during flowering, an overhead sprinkler watering system and frost alarm are necessary to prevent damage to flowers and fruit. Frost-free sites are preferred because additional overhead sprinkling increases the risk of washing pesticides off the leaves and leaching fertiliser out of the root zone.

North-east to north-west facing slopes are best as these are warmer in winter and better protected from winds. Windbreaks are recommended for all farms but are essential for slopes facing south or west to avoid plant and fruit damage.

Slope

Slopes of up to 15% are suitable provided the farm layout is designed to minimise erosion. Steeper slopes present a major erosion risk and make it difficult to operate machinery safely.

Water

A reliable supply of good quality water for irrigation is essential. A reserve of about 125 litres per plant is recommended. Strawberries can be severely damaged by salty water so avoid water with an electrical conductivity above 600 microSiemens per centimetre (µS/cm).

Proximity to transport and markets

As strawberries are easily damaged, consider where you might market your fruit and how it will be transported. Use refrigerated transport for strawberries to maintain fruit quality. It is no accident that the main areas of commercial production are close to the major cities or refrigerated interstate transport services.

The machinery you need

Essential equipment required for a typical strawberry farm:

Optional equipment:

Cultivation, fumigation and mulch laying contractors are available in some areas.

The labour you need

Two people should be able to handle 5000 plants with little outside help. A 10 000 plant farm would require one or two casual labourers to help with planting and up to five workers to help with harvesting and packing. A 40 000 plant farm would require four or five workers to help with planting and 8 to 12 workers for harvesting and packing. Reliable casual labour is becoming more expensive and difficult to find.

Other considerations

Strawberries are a high-risk crop and there is little room for error. You will need to be on the farm almost daily for the duration of the crop to monitor it closely and deal promptly with any problems. The demand will be greatest during the main production season from May to October.

Strawberry production and marketing technology is changing rapidly and it will help if you are prepared to experiment with new ideas. An integrated crop management approach is recommended. This requires a willingness to employ specialised consultants for pest monitoring, sap analysis and water management.

The crop is very labour intensive and you will need skills in labour management and the ability to train staff.

Knowledge of marketing and a commitment to quality throughout your entire production and marketing system are essential if you wish to maximise your return. Regular communication with people in the market chain, as well as other growers, is an integral part of this process.

Weekly spraying for disease control is required for the duration of the crop.

Harvesting strawberries is backbreaking work, for which you will need to be physically fit.

In recent years the industry has expanded significantly from a total of around 350 hectares in the 1997 season to over 600 hectares in 2006, resulting in a proportionately larger volume of fruit supply to the market. Even though improved marketing has increased consumption, higher production places downward presssure on prices. This makes strawberry growing more marginal and makes the need for a thorough business plan more essential.

The other issue for prospective growers is the growing importance of food safety issues in the marketplace. One of Australia’s large retailers is moving towards buying produce only from wholesalers who can guarantee food safety under a quality management system based on Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) such as SQF 2000. To be at the premium end of the market, it is possible that growers may need to comply with these requirements. Prospective growers should include the extra costs of quality management procedures in their analysis.

Further information

The complete Agrilink Strawberry Information Online CD (RRP $22.00 plus P&P) produced by the the DPI&F, provides information on all aspects of growing and marketing strawberries in Queensland.

The CD includes the following sections:

To purchase a copy of this CD contact the The Government Bookshop at https://www.publications.qld.gov.au/home.aspx .

For commercial enquiries on persimmon, contact the DPI&F on telephone 13 25 23 between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. weekdays; non-Queensland residents phone (07) 3404 6999. E-mail: callweb@dpi.qld.gov.au

Information contained in this publication is provided as general advice only. For application to specific circumstances, professional advice should be sought. The Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, Queensland has taken all reasonable steps to ensure the information in this publication is accurate at the time of publication. Readers should ensure that they make appropriate inquiries to determine whether new information is available on the particular subject matter.
Last reviewed September 2006Source: Queensland Government – Dept. of Primary Industries and Fisheries

Topics: Crops & Vegetables, Farming Methods | 2 Comments »

2 Responses to “Growing Strawberries”

  1. Agriculture.ph Blog » Growing Strawberries as a hobby in the Philippines Says:
    September 29th, 2008 at 6:52 pm

    [...] Growing strawberries – > http://www.agripinoy.net/growing-strawberries.html [...]

  2. cae Says:
    January 1st, 2009 at 2:25 pm

    Hi,
    How much in peso do you think is the initial investment / capital for a strawberry farm with 40,000-50,000 plants using drip irrigation? A good estimate will do (for business proposal purposes). Land is approximately 1-2 ha.

    Thank you.

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