Smooth transition from northern European to Spanish raspberries

The raspberry campaign started in Huelva in late September with small volumes. "We started about three weeks earlier than last year," explains Carlos Esteve, of the commercial department of Onubafruit. "We planted earlier to avoid the production gaps we saw in the market last season. At present, although there are still some third countries in production, the transition from the central and northern European season to that of southern Europe is going smoothly, with a great stability in the supply, and as the weeks go by, there will be more availability of raspberries from Huelva."

Onubafruit expects a greater production compared to last season; around 10 million kilos. At present, the cooperative is marketing its exclusive remontant varieties Imara and Kiweli, and later, in mid-February, they will harvest the Lagorai and Vajolet. The latter have gained ground on the free variety Glen Lyon, which accounts for just 12% of the production, compared to the 70% it reached about 7 years ago. "The Glen Lyon has always been an easy variety to produce in a period when it is difficult to produce raspberries, and we expect to have 100% exclusive varieties in the short and medium term," explains Carlos Esteve.

Although the main markets for Onubafruit are outside Spain, in the rest of Europe and the Nordic countries, the Spanish market is starting to awaken when it comes to the consumption of berries. "Although the volumes cannot be compared with those in other countries in northern Europe, now almost all Spanish distribution chains have the full range of berries all year round," affirms Carlos Esteve.