The beginning of the campaign is marked by the weather, the high temperatures and lack of rainfall, which are taking a toll and which will have an even greater impact if it doesn't rain. According to Garrocho, some producers, especially those in El Condado, are already suffering from the impact of drought and water shortage; hence why they have repeatedly requested a water transfer from the Confederation of the Guadiana to the Guadalquivir.
For his part, the president of Freshuelva hopes that, from now on, the temperatures and rains will be those typical of autumn, so that the problems that heat causes in the plants (stress) can be prevented and the plants' roots can gain strength. Rain is especially important at this time, especially in order to reduce production costs, as it prevents having to resort to surface irrigation water. Nevertheless, everything indicates that this will be a rather dry autumn.
Weather permitting, the first strawberries will arrive in mid-December, coinciding with the Christmas season. Some varieties, like the San Andreas, could hit the market even earlier, but they will be the exception. The peak of the campaign will then follow.
As for the acreage planted with strawberries in the province of Huelva, Garrocho pointed out that it is too early to have definitive data, since the associated agricultural companies have not yet reported their figures, so it will be necessary to wait until the planting is finished. All prospects point to the acreage being similar to that of the previous campaign, with the possibility of slight reductions and the expansion of other crops.
This is the trend that has been observed already for some years, and which has been encouraged by the association of producers and exporters. The acreage devoted to raspberries and blueberries has been expanding year after year, and that of blackberries has also been growing at a slower pace, although some have already warned about the excessive production of blueberries and the saturation of the market.
As an indication, the Fresón de Palos cooperative (the largest in the province of Huelva) intends to grow 70 million seedlings. In the last campaign, there was a total of 350 million seedlings.
The most cultivated strawberry varieties in the 2016/2017 campaign were the Fortuna, Primoris and Rociera, followed by the Rábida, Victory and San Andreas. The first accounts for 33.75 percent of the total planted area, while the Primoris accounts for a 16.28%, the Rociera for 10.05% and the Rábida for 9.99%. These four varieties account for 70% of the total acreage planted. Varieties that in other times were more common, like the Candonga, Spendor or Sabrina, don't even reach 2% each right now, which is also the case for the Calinda. The San Andreas accounts for 7.32%. Many of the varieties, especially those that are more successful, come from the program developed by Fresas Nuevos Materiales (FNM) and the University of Florida.
The trend is for Huelva's local varieties to gradually gain ground on the American ones. The number of hectares planted with the former is on the rise thanks to their good results and because they adapt very well to the province's specific conditions.
Source: huelvainformación.es
