Bad news berries: Prices of strawberries, tangerines spike on falling production, disrupted supply

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Bad news berries: Prices of strawberries, tangerines spike on falling production, disrupted supply

Published: 07 Jan. 2026, 11:27 Updated: 07 Jan. 2026, 18:15

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Farmers harvest strawberries at a strawberry farm in Daejeon on Dec. 30, 2025. [JOONGANG ILBO]

Strawberry and tangerine prices are starting out the year on an upward climb as falling production and weather-related disruptions tighten supplies and add pressure to household grocery bills.

Data from Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation on Monday show strawberries cost 2,820 won per 100 grams ($9 per pound) as of last Friday, up 16 percent from a year earlier and 24 percent above the five-year average.

Strawberry prices have risen steadily over the past decade. The average price in January 2016 stood at 1,304 won, meaning prices have more than doubled in 10 years.

Wholesale prices have also jumped. Strawberry wholesale prices for a 2-kilogram (4.4-pound) box reached 45,980 won as of Friday, up 36 percent from a year earlier and 41.2 percent above the five-year average.

Analysts pointed to declining output as the main driver, as farmers age and production falls. Domestic strawberry production peaked at 234,000 tons in 2019 and has declined since, reaching 155,000 tons in 2024. Strawberry growing acreage has also shrunk, falling from 17,418 acres in 2010 to an average of about 13,961 acres over the past three years.

Customers buy strawberries at the Lotte Mart Zettaplex Seoul Station Branch in central Seoul on Dec. 4, 2025. [NEWS1]

Weather shocks can worsen supply conditions. Heavy rain from July through September last year damaged about 440 acres of strawberry greenhouse cultivation, including 264 acres in South Gyeongsang, a major strawberry-producing region, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said.

Tangerine prices have also stayed high. The retail price for 10 tangerines stood at 4,394 won as of Friday, up 1.5 percent from December 2025, according to Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation. Prices fell from a year earlier but still run 24.8 percent above the five-year average.

Tangerines are displayed in the fruit section of a supermarket in Seoul on Jan. 1. [NEWS1]

Consumer price data from the Ministry of Data and Statistics show tangerine prices rose around 20 percent from August through November last year. Cold weather delayed shipments by slowing the fruit’s color shift from green to orange, and higher prices for other fruits later pushed shoppers toward the later-harvest tangerines, which arrived in better condition and drew stronger demand.

Higher seasonal fruit prices can add to grocery bills and weigh on consumer spending.

“My kids love strawberries, so they finish a kilogram of strawberries that costs 36,000 won in a day,” said Choi, a mother of two in Gyeonggi. “As the price burden grows, strawberries feel like a luxury.”

The government expects prices to ease as shipments increase.

“Strawberry shipments in January will likely rise 2.5 percent from a year earlier and crop conditions have recently been favorable, so prices should stabilize after mid-January,” said Choi Sun-woo, the head of the fruit and vegetable outlook team at the Korea Rural Economic Institute.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KIM KYUNG-HEE [[email protected]]