Spanish soft fruit shipments to key European markets have reportedly resumed after unseasonably cold weather earlier this year caused substantial delays to exports.
According to several leading UK berry importers, the start of this year’s Spanish was delayed by four weeks in the wake of the January frosts, which in some cases effectively destroyed much of this season’s harvest.
Ian Waller from the Summerfruit Company said that although berry imports from Spain had resumed – albeit in small quantities – two weeks’ ago, Spanish shipments were delayed for four weeks as a result of the poor weather.
Mr Waller said berry shipments from Morocco had also been delayed by heavy rains, although these imports appeared to be steadily returning to normal levels.
John Gray from fellow UK berry marketer Angus Soft Fruits said raspberry harvests were particularly badly affected, with the company’s Spanish raspberry volumes down by approximately 70 per cent year-on-year.
“There was a cold snap before Christmas and then an even colder snap in late January which pretty much knocked out the raspberry crop of our Spanish supplier, Onubafruit,” he told Fruitnet.
Despite the setbacks, Mr Gray said he expected Spain to retain its position as a major berry exporter to the UK because of its close proximity the country.
