Spain: Drought benefits strawberries in Huelva

The drought is benfitting the strawberry cultivation in Huelva. At this point of the campaign already 40% of the fruit has been harvested, according to explanations by Freshuelva, the association of the majority of strawberry producers, to the Spanish TV channel, Canal Sur.

The combination of dry weather and high temperatures over the last weeks is causing each strawberry bush to produce between 750 and 800 grams of fruit. That quantity is normal in the present weather conditions, causing profitability to be optimal. Farmers have already harvested some 40% of the predicted 245,000 tons of strawberry for this campaign. The environmental drought saves cultivations from its main enemy: fungus.

Average relative humidity in the last weeks was of 45% or 50%, when the normal level is between 75% and 80%. Despite the good conditions for strawberries, around a quarter of the fruit harvested can't be sold due to malformations as a consequence of February's frosts. These strawberries are destined to the production of food products like yogurt or marmalade.

These days, the farmer gets between 1Euro and 1.10 Euro per kilo in the market. This price is 0.40 Euro below the prices paid last year at this time.

Source: CanalSur