"Better to throw away than to give away?" Farmer showed how he discards strawberries, sparking outrage

Nevertheless, a real dispute erupted in the comments. Many users decided that farmers prefer to throw away produce rather than lower the price or give it away for free to those in need.

"I won't eat it myself, and I won't give it to anyone. Better to throw it away than to give a good discount and sell it," one user wrote.

Others suggested selling strawberries at a reduced price:

"Make a 50% discount — they'll be snapped up."

"If they sold them cheaper, they wouldn't have to throw them away."

Some commentators believed that farmers simply do not want to engage in charity:

"Our merchants don't do charity, they'd rather throw it away."

There were also suggestions to give away berries for free to people or social institutions.

"Haven't you heard of orphanages?"

However, some users sided with the farmer. They reminded that it's a perishable product that can become unsuitable for sale and consumption after a few days of storage.

At the same time, other users noted that donating products to social institutions is not always as simple as it seems. There are specific requirements and procedures for this, especially when it comes to perishable goods.

One of the commentators noted:

"If you give it away for free once, next season they'll expect freebies again."

The author of the video himself later intervened in the discussion and explained the situation:

"People just don't understand. These are leftovers I didn't manage to sell. They spoiled."

To the suggestion of donating the berries to orphanages, the farmer replied with a touch of irony:

"Heard of them! I have a harvest tomorrow, you can come!"

Dispute over strawberry prices

In parallel, another discussion unfolded in the comments — about the price of berries in different regions of the country.

One user wrote:

"Not everyone can afford to buy them for 10-12, or even 15 rubles per kilogram."

In response, it was noted that such prices are more often found among resellers and retail sellers, while the purchase price from producers is significantly lower. According to information from a farmer in the Brest region, resellers buy farm strawberries for 8 rubles. And from the population, grown for personal use, resellers sometimes buy them for as low as 2.5 rubles. In Dvarets, Luninets district, strawberries were bought for 5 rubles on June 7.

Users also shared the prices they saw in their cities. For example, a resident of Minsk said that on June 11, he bought strawberries for 15 rubles per kilogram. In Maladzyechna, according to local residents, berries were sold for 8 rubles per kilogram, in Dzyarzhynsk – for 15 rubles, and in Karma the price reached 19 rubles per kilogram.

Why Farmers Sometimes Discard Harvests

Situations where part of the harvest ends up in the landfill occur not only in Belarus. This is especially often the case for berries, fruits, and vegetables with a short shelf life.

Even if a product still looks edible, it can quickly lose its marketable appearance: get bruised, release juice, or begin to spoil. For the seller, this means the risk of claims from buyers. Moreover, sorting, transporting, and distributing products also require time and additional costs.

The story of the discarded strawberries showed how differently people view the problem. Some are convinced that any produce should be given away for free or sold at a discount. Others believe that social media users do not always understand the difficulties faced by producers of perishable goods, and that not all berries that end up in the trash bin are suitable for consumption.

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