Raspberry production statistics

Raspberries are grown in many parts of the world with production estimated at 385,000 MT (FAO statistics), Europe is estimated to produce around 316,000 MT.

Cane fruit production, mainly red raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.), is an important high-value horticultural industry in many European countries because it provides employment directly in agriculture, and indirectly in food processing and confectionary. Most raspberry production is concentrated in the northern and central European countries, although there is an increasing interest in growing cane fruits in southern Europe e.g. in Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain. In many production areas, the fruit is grown for the fresh market, but in central Europe e.g. Poland, Hungary and Serbia, a high proportion of the crop is destined for processing.

In the UK there has been a major movement away from processing towards fresh fruit production under protected cultivation for the high-value fresh market.

Commercial blackberries are also grown, mainly in east Europe, and arctic raspberries (R. arcticus L.) are produced commercially on a small-scale in Finland (Koponen et al. 2000).