The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Andalusia's strawberry sector has been undeniable. According to data from the Prices and Markets Observatory of the Andalusian Government, Huelva's strawberry campaign has finished with a 21.75% drop in the production and the marketing at 77.9%.
The 50% drop in the orders from traditional international markets for Huelva's strawberries (Germany, the United Kingdom and Italy) has been a determining factor in the development of the campaign. However, as stated by Pedro Marín, head of the Strawberry and Red Fruits Interprofessional Organization of Andalusia (Interfresa), this drop in international orders has been countered "with great promotional work," also in the domestic market. This led to "a recovery of strawberry sales and prices by Easter, while the performance of blueberries or raspberries has remained practically unchanged compared to previous campaigns."
The first blow for the sector, as soon as the state of alarm was decreed, was the shortage of labor due to the closure of the Moroccan borders. This year, only 7,200 of the nearly 19,000 Moroccan temporary workers expected have arrived. The closure of the EU's internal borders also prevented the arrival of hundreds of Bulgarian and Romanian workers who usually take part in the berry picking campaign. To this we must add the limitations in the transport of people, which were "a very serious problem" during the first few weeks, causing a lot of absenteeism.
It has also been a challenge for the sector to obtain sufficient protection material for the 70,000 people who have worked in it, "especially when the pandemic had just been declared."
Source: huelva24.com