Strawberries are produced commercially both for immediate consumption and for processing as frozen, canned, or preserved berries or as juice. In all countries, because of the perishable nature of the berries and the unlikelihood of mechanical picking, the strawberry is generally grown near centres of consumption or processing and where sufficient labour is available. The berries are picked directly into small baskets and crated for marketing or put into trays for processing. Early crops can be produced under glass or plastic covering. Strawberries are very perishable and require cool, dry storage. They are grown throughout most of the United States and Canada; in European countries, including France, Italy, the United Kingdom, Bulgaria, and Poland; in southern and eastern Africa; in New Zealand and Australia; and also in Japan.