Strawberry planted area in Huelva is once again forecast to contract in 2015 as the industry continues to diversify its offer as it seeks to redress the balance between supply and demand.
Producer association Freshuelva said although the exact figure would not be known until mid-November, strawberry acreage would definitely be below last year’s 6,300ha total. The 2014 figure already marked one of the biggest decreases of the last decade, with acreage contracting by 9.2 per cent on the previous year.
President Alberto Garrocho told agrodiariohuelva.es that the association was once again urging members to reduce their strawberry acreage in a bid to achieve greater diversity and better balance supply and demand. The aim is to ensure that the average price paid to the producer does not fall below €1 per kg.
He said the strategy was already starting to pay off, with the sector achieving a 20.7 per cent increase in sales during 2014/15 in spite of fewer hectares being planted and overall output rising by just 3 per cent on the previous season to 288,660 tonnes.
Producers in Huelva are switching increasingly towards raspberries and blueberries, with the latter gaining ground over the former in recent years. Blackberry production, meanwhile, has lagged behind as it is more difficult to grow in the local conditions. According to data from Freshuelva, there were 1,500ha planted with raspberries in 2014/15, together with 1,400ha of blueberries and 90ha of blackberries.
In terms of varieties, the trend continues to be towards early season cultivars that can be harvested in December and early January when market prices are still relatively high, with most producers concluding their season in early April. These include Fortuna, Sabrina, Splendor, Rábida, Primores and Candonga.
According to Garrocho, the 2015/16 production season is progressing well thanks to favourable climatic conditions. He said nursery plants had benefited from a higher number of cold hours in September, ensuring that they reached fields in optimum health, while intermittent rainfall during planting had also helped maintain the condition of the plants and had the added benefit of helping growers to save water.
