Dayneutral Strawberry: Potential for Farm Production Diversification in Southwestern Ontario

Growing consumer demand for year-round supply of fresh strawberries in Ontario justifies cropping of dayneutral strawberry to extend the growing season. Currently they are grown on about 20% of the strawberry acreage in Ontario, and the harvest season has been expanded from six weeks to six months. This study assessed current dayneutral strawberry production technology, calculated cost of production, and evaluated effects of varying sale prices, channels of sale and yields on returns. The data were grower-generated and collected through paper-based surveys of existing dayneutral strawberry growers. The surveys were conducted in 2011 and 2012 in southwestern Ontario. Study results demonstrated that dayneutral strawberry production was labor and resource-intensive, but an economically viable enterprise. The net revenue was channel-of-sale and yield dependent