Due to the impact of bad weather, the strawberry and raspberry supply is down in the province of Huelva, the main berry-growing area in Spain. At the moment, not enough is produced to meet the demand in the main European markets, so prices have risen to notably higher levels than in the previous season.
"We had expected Huelva's berry productions, especially that of strawberries, to start increasing in the first two weeks of March, but so far volumes are between 10 and 15% lower than last season due to the impact of cloudy days and rain," says Freshuelva Manager Rafael DomÃnguez.
"Huelva's strawberry supply is not sufficient to meet all orders and there are markets where there is a shortage of fruit. It's the case of France and Germany, where demand is currently at its highest," says DomÃnguez. "The same is happening with raspberries."
With demand still outstripping supply, average prices are much higher than in previous seasons, although, according to the manager of Freshuelva, "this isn't interesting for the sector, as we always prefer having greater continuity, both in production and service, rather than fluctuations, as demand can be diverted to other origins or other products."
The situation is not expected to improve in the short term, as rain is forecast for the whole of week 10. This won't only slow down production in Huelva, but will also affect the fruit's quality due to excess humidity, among other issues.
The water reserves in reservoirs are at higher levels than last year when there was uncertainty due to the drought; however, "the current rains are falling more in the coastal areas, where water mostly goes directly to the sea."
As far as blueberries are concerned, Huelva's current supply basically consists of early varieties and is not yet significant. Volumes will start to reach more significant levels from April onwards.
For more information: freshuelva.es
