Survey: Nearly half of Estonians grow their own fruits, vegetables and/or herbs

Text Mark taylor
Photo Markus Spiske / Unsplash

According to a survey conducted by Prisma Peremarket, Estonian residents are very green-fingered. To be precise, more than half, or 54 per cent, of the survey participants answered that they already grow or plan to grow fruits, vegetables or herbs this year.

The survey found that 47 per cent of the respondents have already grown garden products before and plan to do so this year as well, while 7 per cent want to start growing garden products for the first time this year.

Raplamaa was found to be the area with the most green-fingered people with as many as 74 per cent already engaged in growing garden products. A lot is also grown in the areas of Harjumaa outside the capital, where 67 per cent of the people surveyed are engaged in growing their own. This is in contrast to only 44 per cent who do so in Tallinn. 60 per cent of people grow their own garden products in Tartumaa.

“The results of the survey also correspond to Prisma’s sales results. In addition to food, various garden supplies such as soil, fertiliser, seeds, smaller garden tools and plants are increasingly purchased from our stores in the spring. Estonian people have always been very self-sufficient, but in recent years it has become even more trendy,” commented Merit Uus, head of industrial goods categories at Prisma Peremarket. 

Since mid-April, a separate garden area has been opened in Prisma hypermarkets, the largest of which are located at the Prisma stores in Rocca al Mare in Tallinn, Annelinna in Tartu, as well as Narva Prisma.

Unlike fruits, vegetables and herbs, growing flowers is less popular. With only 16 per cent of respondents preferring to grow flowers themselves, and 46 per cent preferring to buy flowers from a store. Here too, the people of Raplamaa are the biggest do-it-yourselfers. 26 per cent of the inhabitants of Raplamaa grow their own flowers. Cultivation of flowers is also quite popular in Ida-Virumaa, where 22 per cent of respondents are engaged in it.

Prisma conducted the customer survey from March 6 to 15, 2023, and a total of 15,687 Prisma customers participated in it.

To learn more about this and similar topics
Flowers Fruits Growing Your Own Herbs Prisma Prisma Peremarket Vegetables