The cucumber farmers in the Spreewald forest, a look of concern on this year's harvest. "The year is difficult, not only for corona-related reasons," said Executive Director Melanie Kossatz from the Spreewald Association. The weather was fickle, the nights had in part been to cold. The cucumber need a minimum of 15 degrees. In June, the temperatures had gone but up to 5 degrees down. The vegetables to be fresh, so Kossack. In addition, the plants were diseases this year are particularly susceptible to fungus.

Currently harvested according to their data, currently only half of the revenue from the past year. Kossack expected losses in the farms and canning factories. The farmers now hoped for better weather in the next five weeks, in order to keep the deficit as small as possible. It is expected, according to data from the Association a yield of around 30 000 tonnes of Insertion and Schälgurken.

the Corona-crisis complicates the Spreewald Association according to the terms and conditions for the harvest. The hygiene requirements and preventative measures caused in the case of farmers and processors additional cost. Add to this that canned food during the Corona-lock downs were extremely in demand, explained Kossack. The shelves were empty. As the cucumber yields were low, did not run in the premises of all the processing lines.

Nine farms in the land Brandenburg, Spreewald gherkins to build on a total area of around 500 hectares. 85 percent of pickling cucumbers are 15 percent Schälgurken. A dozen Einlegereien - mostly family-owned companies and canned food companies to process the vegetables.

The pickled cucumber is a trademark of the Spreewald, Germany's second-largest growing area. In local Pickling-cucumbers are Operated, the cucumbers are processed to pickles, salted cucumbers or Honey.