A vanishing harvest of ‘red gold’

Fruit harvesters collecting whatever raspberries they could find. According to official figures, the harvest will be severely compromised this year, with farmers reporting that yields are five times lower than in the worst previous years. — AFP

FACING drought and record heat, raspberry farmers in western Serbia are warning of the worst season in decades for one of the world’s largest exporters of the fruit.

Under the scorching sun, pickers move through parched raspberry fields in search of the few fruits that have not shrivelled to a pea.