Raspberries are grown commercially on every continent except Antarctica, but a handful of countries dominate global production. Russia, Mexico, Serbia, Poland, the United States, and Spain consistently rank among the top producers, while Morocco has emerged as a major supplier to European markets. The crop thrives in temperate climates with cool winters and mild summers, though modern tunnel-growing techniques have pushed cultivation into warmer regions that would have been unsuitable a few decades ago.
Mexico: The Americas’ Powerhouse
Mexico has rapidly become one of the world’s largest raspberry producers, with its harvest season strategically timed to supply the U.S. market nearly year-round. The state of Jalisco alone accounts for about 64% of Mexico’s raspberry output, followed by Baja California at roughly 17% and Michoacán at 16%. Smaller contributions come from Guanajuato and Puebla.
The central states of Jalisco and Michoacán produce from November through early June, while Baja California’s season runs from August to October. This staggered timing means Mexican raspberries reach U.S. grocery stores in almost every month of the year. Production peaks in December, when about 18% of the annual crop is harvested, with a secondary peak in February. The lowest output falls between July and September, when domestic U.S. production fills the gap. The United States is by far the leading export market for Mexican berries.
The United States and Canada
Within the U.S., the Pacific Northwest is the traditional heartland of raspberry farming. Washington state leads domestic production, particularly in Whatcom County near the Canadian border, where the cool, maritime climate suits the plant perfectly. Oregon grows a significant volume as well, much of it destined for freezing and processing rather than the fresh market. California rounds out the top three, with farms in the Salinas Valley and along the central coast producing fresh berries for a longer window thanks to the mild year-round temperatures.
Across the border, British Columbia’s Fraser Valley is Canada’s primary raspberry region. The crop there is similar in character to Washington’s, with a short but productive summer harvest season running roughly from late June through August. A large share of Canadian raspberries goes to frozen and processed markets.
Russia and Eastern Europe
Russia is consistently the world’s largest raspberry producer by volume, though most of that crop never leaves the country. Russian raspberries are grown across a wide belt of the central and southern regions, often in small household plots and dachas rather than large commercial farms. The fruit is used heavily in preserves, jams, and traditional remedies.
Serbia punches well above its weight for a small country, holding a top global position in frozen raspberry exports. The Zlatibor and Arilje districts in western Serbia are the core growing areas, where thousands of smallholder farms cultivate the Willamette variety on hilly terrain. The vast majority of Serbian raspberries are frozen for export to Western Europe, though there is growing interest in expanding into the fresh and organic markets.
Poland is another major European producer, with output concentrated in the eastern and central parts of the country. Like Serbia, Poland channels most of its harvest into the frozen and processed segment, supplying food manufacturers across the EU. Together, Serbia and Poland form the backbone of Europe’s frozen raspberry supply chain.
Spain and Morocco
Spain’s Huelva province, in the southwestern corner of Andalusia, is the main fresh raspberry supplier to European supermarkets during winter and early spring. The same region famous for strawberries has diversified into raspberries grown under plastic tunnel greenhouses, taking advantage of mild winters and proximity to northern European markets. Spanish raspberries typically reach shelves from January through May, filling the gap before summer harvests begin further north.
Just across the Strait of Gibraltar, Morocco has become a formidable competitor. Raspberry acreage there has stabilized at around 4,600 to 4,800 hectares, spread between the Loukkos region (centered on Larache) and Souss Massa (centered on Agadir). Despite stable acreage, production increased by 14% in a recent season thanks to improved varieties and growing techniques, reaching an estimated 64,000 to 68,000 tons for the 2024/2025 campaign. Souss Massa contributes roughly 35,000 tons and Loukkos about 29,000 tons. Morocco’s lower labor costs and counter-seasonal timing make it a key supplier to European retailers.
Other Notable Regions
Chile is the Southern Hemisphere’s largest raspberry exporter, with farms concentrated in the central Maule and Biobío regions. Because Chile’s summer falls during the Northern Hemisphere’s winter, Chilean raspberries reach North American and European markets from December through March, complementing supplies from Mexico and Morocco.
China grows a substantial volume of raspberries, primarily in the northeastern provinces of Heilongjiang and Jilin, though most of the crop serves domestic demand or enters the processed ingredient market rather than appearing as fresh fruit in international trade. Portugal, the United Kingdom (particularly Scotland), and parts of Scandinavia also maintain smaller but notable raspberry industries, generally oriented toward local consumption or premium fresh sales.
Why Geography Matters for Your Berries
Raspberries are fragile. They bruise easily, mold quickly, and have a shelf life of just a few days after picking. That fragility is the reason production has spread across so many regions with overlapping seasons. When you buy a clamshell of fresh raspberries in February, it almost certainly came from Mexico, Morocco, or Spain. In July, it likely came from a domestic farm in the Pacific Northwest, Poland, or the U.K. In December, it could be from Chile or Mexico’s peak harvest.
This global relay system is also why fresh raspberries remain relatively expensive compared to other fruits. Every link in the chain, from temperature-controlled transport to the narrow harvest windows in each region, adds cost. Frozen raspberries, by contrast, are often a better value because countries like Serbia and Poland can harvest enormous volumes in a short summer window and freeze them within hours, locking in flavor and nutrition at a fraction of the fresh-market price.