ES strawberries Barcelona credit Julien Haler

Strawberries on sale at a market in Barcelona (Photo: Julien Haler)

The Spanish region of Huelva produced a total strawberry crop of 274,800 tonnes during the course of the 2012/13 season, according to new data released by regional industry association Freshuelva.

A 10 per cent decline in production compared with the previous campaign reportedly led to a 20 per cent decrease in turnover to €315.6m, with the average strawberry price falling 14 per cent.

Of the region's total strawberry crop, just over two-thirds were sold and marketed fresh, with the remaining 32.3 per cent sent for processing.

'It was the weather all through the winter that affected the course of the campaign, having recorded negative figures in terms of production during the months from January to April,' said a spokesperson for Freshuelva.

As for other soft fruits grown in the region, raspberry production was down 5 per cent year on year at 10,550 tonnes, while its blueberry and blackberry harvesting remains unfinished having started in April.