Spain 17/07/2023

10% decrease in strawberry production in Huelva

 

The 2022/2023 strawberry campaign has finished with a total production of 243,000 tons, a 10% decrease compared to the previous season, according to the Association of Strawberry Producers and Exporters of Huelva (Freshuelva), which represents over 95% of the province's production.

This strawberry season was heavily influenced by the changing weather. Excessive heat during the planting stage led to replanting in nearly 30% of cases, while the cold at the beginning of the year significantly reduced production. The extreme heat in April also impacted fruit quality and production.

This adverse situation resulted in a 10% decrease in production and a slight increase in prices compared to the previous season. Combined with the ongoing cost increases faced by the sector, this has led to a significant decline in crop profitability.

As for the other red berries, the raspberry production totaled 47,750 tons, a 4.5% decrease compared to the previous campaign. The initial part of the raspberry campaign was marked by low prices in the markets and intense competition from third countries such as Morocco. 

The blueberry production dropped by 10%, totaling 53,190 tons. The extended duration of the blueberry campaign allowed for a partial recovery from the production decline seen in the early months, resulting in a smaller differential compared to the previous campaign than initially expected. The reduced production was primarily due to the delayed arrival of low temperatures, preventing sufficient accumulation of chill hours. Furthermore, the cold weather in the last weeks of February and early March affected the berry sizes. Despite the production recovery in April and May, there was strong market competition, leading to oversupply, price collapse, and a reduced June offering, subsequently causing price increases. 

The blackberry production remained at 2,000 tons, similar to the previous campaign, according to Freshuelva.

source: freshuelva.es, fepex.es