"Strong demand for strawberries and little supply"

According to a representative of this Spanish producing and marketing company, the quality of the strawberries is good at the moment, despite the issues of two weeks ago, when the sector was hit by abundant rainfall and mists; that is, excess moisture. "We now have more hours of sunshine, so the quality of the strawberries has improved," he adds.

The Spanish producing and marketing company, TC Fruits, has increased its strawberry production with three new hectares in Huelva and already has 95 hectares devoted to its own production, about 5.5 million plants, mainly of the variety Fortuna. "We are frequently experimenting with varieties, and for now the Fortuna remains the most homogeneous in terms of quality and productivity, as well as the most suited for our fields and our quality requirements," assures Cristóbal Monteagudo.

Meanwhile, they are starting with a few volumes of blueberries, although no large volumes are expected until mid-April and May.

Regarding the sector's trend in Huelva to diversify the strawberry production with other berries, Cristóbal states that "our plan is to maintain our strawberry production or continue expanding it, at the same time as we continue planting blueberries. An excessive supply is not good for the sector, and more so with a product as volatile as strawberries. I believe that, at the moment, there is a good balance between supply and demand, with good margins to make a decent profit."

Spain is the best market for TC Fruits' strawberries, with exports going also to other European countries, like the UK, France, Italy, Germany and Poland.

At the moment, the Spanish company is also fully involved in the domestic kiwi campaign, although they supply the fruit all year round, thanks to the fact that they also import it from other northern and southern hemisphere origins, such as Chile.

"The market has fewer kiwi volumes this year, so sales are fast and prices are rising, especially for large sizes, which are the most demanded at the moment and the least abundant," concludes Cristóbal Monteagudo.