The strawberry season in the Spanish province of Huelva kicked off in December with limited quantities, but now the supply is increasing, allowing the start of exports to European markets. Prices are somewhat higher than last season and costs are also up, although water supply and labor shortages are among the main challenges for the sector.
"We started with the strawberry harvest in Lepe at the beginning of December with limited quantities of our early variety Candela," says Victoria Martín, from the marketing and sales department of the Plus Berries group.
"The fruit supply isn't very high yet and is not sufficient to meet the existing demand, but it will increase little by little and will start to become significant by the end of this month. In fact, given the lower supply so far, we have been focusing more on supplying the domestic market. Only now are we beginning to launch some export programs," she says.
According to Victoria Martín, average prices are somewhat higher. For now, they are higher than in other years. "This is understandable, considering not just the available supply, but also the higher costs. With the costs we have to bear, it wouldn't make sense for a kilo of strawberries to cost the same as three years ago," she says.
As Spanish strawberries make their way into European export markets, Victoria sees less competition from third countries this season. "Our perception is that less fruit is being imported from countries such as Egypt or Morocco, partly due to the tightening of quality controls in customs. We are noticing that strawberries from Huelva are becoming highly appreciated because of the quality standards, diversity of formats, and professionalism of their suppliers. The Huelva brand is increasingly recognized in Europe," she says.
While the water supply has improved slightly in Huelva due to the fact that temperatures have not been as warm this fall, water reserves in the reservoirs have not increased significantly, so there are still restrictions on the use of water for irrigation. "The lack of water remains one of the main challenges in this sector, together with the shortage of labor at source and soil disinfection," says Victoria Martín.
For more information:
Victoria Martín
Grupo Plus Berries
Tel.:: +34 673109821
Tel.: +34 959504454
[email protected]
plusberries.com