Andalusian strawberry exports increased 133 percent
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This increase in the supply of strawberries in both European and non-European markets has caused prices to be reduced by half compared to the previous campaign, raising concerns in Huelva's strawberry sector for fear of them not recovering.
Fortunately for producers, prices recovered at the end of February, and the bottleneck that usually happens during the Easter holidays, due to the milder temperatures, was also saved, as reported by Freshuelva manager Rafael Domínguez.
"This year, demand and supply during Easter have been balanced by a number of factors, including the fact that the weather has changed and kept production under control both here and in Europe," explained Domínguez.
The latest report of the Prices and Markets Observatory of the Andalusian Government points to a 133% increase in Andalusian strawberry exports; in absolute terms, the export volume has gone from 8,482 tonnes between the months of December and January last season to 20,247 tonnes this year.
The value of these exports has also increased (by 27%); a clear consequence of the greater volume of goods exported, since the price per kilo has fallen by almost half, standing at 2.41 €/kilo, compared to the 4.35 €/kilo reached in the same period last season. ■