Spain: Positive strawberry sector

The counsellor for Agriculture, Fishing and Environment, Luis Planas, met in Bonares (Huelva) with representatives from the Association of Producers and Exporters of Strawberry from Huelva (Freshuelva), to analyse the sector's reality and the challenges ahead.

The meeting allowed the counsellor to get to learn first hand the concerns of this collective.

During the meeting, Luis Planas said the present campaign was "positive, not only in production amounts but also regarding quality". In that sense, he pointed out that between December 2011 and March 2012, exports of this product reached an amount of 84,000 tons and a value of 193 million Euro, meaning an increase of 30 and 29% respectively, regarding the same period of the previous campaign.

Even so, the counsellor called attention to the high level of support in the horticultural sector in Huelva, concentrating about 54% of its production in the Organizations of Producers of Fruits and Vegetables (OPFV). Meaning, for an amount of more than 670 million Euro, more than 375 millions correspond to those organizing structures. In fact, Huelva is the second province, after Almería, regarding concentrated turnover in the OPFV and in number of organizations - 24 in total gathering 1,693 associated producers.

The counsellor also showed the value of the agreement signed in January 2011 with Freshuelva to promote the biological control of plagues in the strawberry cultivation. By using sustainable methods of production, the sector now has 4,438 hectares, representing about 70% of the total strawberry area in Huelva, of Integrated Production.

Source: Juntadeandalucia