"The strawberry oversupply is not due to clash with other origins"

Huelva's current strawberry campaign has had a better start than that of 2015/2016, both in terms of price and quality, as there have been lower volumes available because of the cold temperatures and rains. From April, the market conditions have gradually become more complicated with the rise of temperatures and the entry into full production.

Although Spain dominates the European markets at the moment, the available volumes are growing in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, France or Italy. However, according to Carlos Cumbreras, manager of Grufesa, "the oversupply at this time of the campaign is not due to the clash with the productions of other origins. In my opinion, this is an issue which Huelva's sector has to address, betting on an appropriate regulation and staggering of the varieties."

"At the moment, our challenge, is reaching the quality standards necessary to continue working with the lines that we have open with our customers, although this will also depend on other external factors, such as the precocity of the campaigns in other European countries that are important for us, such as Germany," states Cumbreras.

Carlos Cumbreras, manager of Grufesa.

With the marketing of the San Andreas variety already finished, Grufesa is now fully involved in the production of the Primoris, which accounts for 50% of the production of the cooperative. The Rociera, Rábida and Fortuna complete its current varietal range.

"85% of the strawberries we are selling come from the autochthonous program. The latest variety we introduced was the Rociera, for which we already have significant volumes after a year of testing. We believe that it will compete in terms of uniformity and shelf life with the most relevant varieties of other programs. We also believe that it will be a good complement for our Primoris, allowing us to supply a product that fits the needs of each market. That is, we see that they are complementary varieties," argues the manager.

Mr Blue blueberry campaign kicks off

"We made the first blueberry shipments two weeks ago. We currently have approximately 30 hectares in production, all subject to the same quality protocols as our strawberries, which adds to the appreciation and personality of the Mr Blue brand. It is important to have a good product that, in turn, is backed by a good image," affirms Carlos Cumbreras.

The blueberries will be distributed until the end of June, taking advantage of the same sales channels that they use for the strawberries, 90% of which are shipped to the export markets.

For more information:
Carlos Cumbreras
Grufesa
T: +34 959 372335
T: +34 959 372346
info@grufesa.com
sales@grufesa.com
www.grufesa.com