Despite being prioritised above other European customers, the UK supermarkets are running short of soft fruit as the rest of the world cannot make up the shortfall in Spanish production volumes.

Bill Ashby, managing director of Alconera UK, said production at parent company Alconeras’ sites in Huelva has been down 60 per cent week-on-week since the beginning of February, as night-time temperatures have hovered between -1°C and 2°C and daytime temperatures have failed to lift themselves above the 11°C mark.

“In mid-January, we thought we were looking at a vintage season,” he said. “But sub-zero temperatures throughout February have made things extremely difficult. The weather forecast is no better for March and the situation is unlikely to change for the next 10-14 days at least.

“Alconeras has prioritised the UK at the expense of its other European markets, at the expense of a few euros a kilo, because traditionally the UK customers have been very supportive of the Spanish industry. We are trying to reciprocate that with this commitment, but in strawberries for example, as well as having lower volumes, we have seen a lot more mis-shapen fruit coming through. We have begun to move away from Camarosa to varieties that are not so prone to deformation, but even some of the new varieties have proved susceptible this year.”

Ashby does not feel that the severity of the situation in Spain this year will have long-term implications. “If the weather was ideal in every country every year, we’d be living in a far different world. Spain is still the best country in which to grow early spring fruit.” Alconeras is, however, expanding its Portuguese production capacity, in later fruiting areas.

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