Spanish strawberry sales increased in volume and value in 2015/16, in spite of planted area contracting by almost nine per cent. Producer and exporter association Freshuelva said 294,650 tonnes of strawberries were sold this season for €395m, up two per cent and 8 per cent respectively on the previous campaign.
The campaign got off to a difficult start, with the benign winter bringing harvesting forward by almost a month and causing a glut of early-season fruit on the market.
Prices improved from mid-February to March before dipping again at the beginning of April when volume peaked. The arrival of northern European supplies in May brought strong competition, but thanks to their high quality, Spanish strawberries were able to maintain their sales momentum until the end of that month.
The two leading destinations were Germany and France, which accounted for 30 per cent and 20 per cent of the export total respectively. The UK was in third place with 13 per cent.
Raspberry exports, meanwhile, enjoyed a smoother ride this season, although sales slowed somewhat and prices dipped with the arrival of northern European fruit in May and early June.
The region sold 15,800 tonnes of raspberries with a value of €120m in 2015/16, up from 14,480 tonnes and €90m in the previous season.
While the blackberry and blueberry campaigns are still underway, final production figures are expected to show a steep rise in volumes of both due to the increase in planted area.
