Soft-fruit availability from Spain is running two to three weeks behind seasonal averages, lifting prices on the UK market.
According to Spanish producer-exporter association Freshuelva, damp and intensely cold temperatures in December and January are the main reason for the delay, which is tightening up supply to European export markets.
Association president José Manuel Romero said this week: “We need about five days of good weather to regulate production. Conditions are improving, which is beneficial for the recovery of the season. It is no longer raining and we are not experiencing temperatures below zero any more. But we do need some more favourable days. Some product is being exported, but not as much as should be at this stage.”
In the UK, Alan Webber of importer Lisons believes the situation is pushing prices up. He said: “The cold weather and rain has knocked production back a couple of weeks so growers are behind where they would normally be at this point in the season. Raspberries have been particularly light. The exchange rate situation is definitely not helping. Raspberries, for example, are selling on the markets for 180-200p for 125g punnets, but in Perpignan they are taking them for €2.20 (£1.95), so [senders] really don’t need to come to the UK.”
Webber added that UK importers are hopeful that with an improvement in climatic conditions, production of both raspberries and strawberries will soon come on in greater volume, leading to better availability.
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