Huelva's strawberry campaign has already started. In the coming days, shipments will increase both to the domestic market and to other European countries. For now, prices are good, of between 4 and 5 Euro per kilo at origin.
This year, about 10% fewer strawberries have been planted in Huelva, and in the first weeks of January production volumes have not been great when compared to previous seasons. The cold wave that affected Europe in late December and the low temperatures since early January slow down productivity.
But the sector remains cautious: "We have to be vigilant, because cold waves in January can cause pollination problems, resulting in fruits that would fail to meet their marketing standards for February," said Freshuelva manager Rafael DomÃnguez, who told FreshPlaza about the key to the present and future of strawberries and berries in Huelva.
According to Rafael DomÃnguez, Huelva's growers are moving from a focus on strawberry monoculture to a greater diversification into other berries, like blueberries and raspberries. In fact, the 10% fewer strawberries planted has led to a 25% increase in the planting of blueberries, raspberries and blackberries. The poor performance of strawberries over the last two seasons in terms of value has motivated many companies to promote the cultivation of other berries.
However, this does not mean that strawberries will be abandoned. "Quality requirements continue to increase, both from consumers and large distributors. The sector is aware of the need to advance in quality and is running a complex varietal development programme which is starting to bring the first results with the conversion to varieties developed in Huelva, with the Primoris as a good example," says Rafael.
Meanwhile, the increase in strawberry production in both third countries, like Morocco, Egypt or Turkey, and in other European countries, such as the UK, the Netherlands, France and Belgium, motivated by the subsidies granted by their governments to promote this crop, is resulting in an increasingly competitive market for Spanish strawberries, which traditionally had these countries as major destinations.
"Fepex and Freshuelva have shown discontent about the protectionism of these EU countries, as well as that of third countries which are not required to meet the same criteria and requirements in terms of traceability and sustainability. That is definitely one of our biggest threats for the future," continues Rafael.
The sector is consequently searching for new markets, with its sights set on Asia. "We frequently ask MAGRAMA to continue working on bilateral phytosanitary protocols for the opening of new markets, like China, where interest in berries is on the rise through the promotion of their healthy properties. Furthermore, the Middle East and South Africa are also very interesting."
Rafael affirms that the sector is ready to ship strawberries and other berries to these destinations, "even though Huelva has some shortcomings in terms of logistics, since we don't have an airport or high speed trains; things which we frequently request from public administrations to be able to continue advancing," he says.
As far as marketing is concerned, Rafael states that work will focus on two sales channels: supermarkets and specialist fruit stores, "which require different quality parameters," he points out.
Furthermore, "the fact that large retailers take about 80% of the market share in Europe ends up affecting us in terms of marketing, and the EU should legislate to prevent it. Large distributors shouldn't be the ones shaping the EU's trade policies," he adds.
Lastly, Rafael reveals that "the sector's strategy for the future is to continue working in the fields of health and wellness to boost the properties of berries, with more communication to encourage consumption in Europe and in other markets."