In Spain and Portugal, the raspberry supply is lower than expected. "It has been cold and wet, resulting in limited availability and variable quality. But when quality is good, growers can achieve good prices of 10-12 euros," says Jan van Bergeijk of Remolino Berries, who has been active in Spanish cultivation for more than 30 years and is commercially responsible for raspberries within the Plusberries group.
He expects the tight supply to continue in the coming weeks. "In Spain, raspberry planting is already lower than in the past, and in Portugal, it does not appear likely to increase either. Part of the crop has shifted to Morocco, but there are also alternative crops there, so that will not make a major difference. In Morocco, cultivation has expanded in recent years; however, even there, conditions have been very cold and rainy. Add storms and public holidays, and you end up with significant supply issues."
"But overall demand for raspberries is good, and supermarkets are selling them well," Jan continues, currently in the Netherlands attending the annual International Soft Fruit Conference. "Many new raspberry varieties are being introduced these days, and there are certainly varieties among them that will improve the overall picture, but I cannot say that one specific variety will dominate. All varieties have their advantages and disadvantages, and performance is highly dependent on growing conditions."
"Spanish strawberry production is also very slow to get going, and strawberries are therefore quite expensive. There are also insufficient volumes coming from Morocco. In addition, northern Morocco has seen a lot of rain," Jan continues. He adds that blackberries are also generally in short supply. "Blackberries are never a product with steady sales. It is easily either too much or too little, but I do have the impression that the market has been able to handle peaks more easily in recent years, which makes it more interesting to expand blackberry production."
For more information:
Jan van Bergeijk
Remolino Berries
Tel: +34 609 01 66 54
[email protected]
www.plusberries.com
