Overview

• Growers have implemented minimum-purchase quotas and flat nasch fees to deter customers from eating more berries in the fields than they pay for.
• Unsupervised trust boxes have been largely removed and replaced with staffed kiosks to improve payment compliance despite higher labor costs.
• Farmers report entire families sampling fruits on-site and organized trespassers passing berries over fences to avoid payment.
• Rising production expenses and retail prices near €6 per 500 g punnet have intensified the financial pressure on growers reliant on a single seasonal harvest.
• When pickers refuse to comply or issue threats, operators now call police to protect their crops and revenue.