At the start of the week, locally grown strawberries were selling for as much as €16.90 per kilogram at some stalls in the capital, while Polish strawberries on the same shelves cost €11.90 per kilogram. On the lower end, Estonian strawberries were priced around €8–9 per kilogram at markets.

"Unfortunately, there aren't too many Estonian strawberries on the market this year, which is why prices are higher than last year. The rain has done significant damage to the fields," said Janika Lindsalu, a strawberry grower from Jõgeva County who runs OÜ Marimarta with her family in the village of Koimula.

"Right now, for every three tons of strawberries we pick, three tons go straight to the landfill," said Ranet Roositalu, the young owner of Joosepi Strawberry Farm in Põlva County. Due to the rainy weather, his open-field strawberry crops have suffered badly — nearly half the berries have gone moldy from excessive moisture.

He explained that rain brings gray mold to the fields, while hot weather leads to spider mite infestations. Meanwhile, there's a shortage of effective approved plant protection products, which further reduces yields. Roositalu cited last year's drought, when spider mites overran his fields. Even after spending €20,000 on biological control, it had no effect.

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