Spain: 10% of transplanted strawberries had to be replaced in autumn due to heat

In the first part of the 2017/2018 strawberry campaign there have been some problems during the transplantation stage, as reported by the Prices and Markets Observatory of the Council of Agriculture of the Government of Andalusia. The autumnal heat wave has increased the planting costs, as it has been necessary to replace, on average, between 8 and 10% of the plants, although in some areas, this figure has reached up to 25%.

According to the Prices and Markets Observatory, the Fortuna strawberry continues to be the most planted variety in Huelva and accounts for the largest share of the production at this time, given its precocity. The next most established varieties are the Rociera, Primoris and Rábida, which are entering into production in January.

The strawberry season kicked off on some farms in late November, but in December it was not as advanced as expected due to the drop in temperatures, which slowed down the production process. In other farms, the start of the harvest has arrived somewhat later, in mid-December.

As for the acreage, the Prices and Markets Observatory reported no significant variations compared to the previous season, when 6,415 hectares were devoted to strawberry cultivation in Andalusia.

However, the strawberry producers associated in Freshuelva, which brings together 95% of Huelva's producers, estimates that the acreage of its partners has increased by 9% this season, reaching 5,890 hectares, compared to 5,400 hectares in the previous campaign. Freshuelva stresses that this increase in the number of hectares devoted to strawberries in the province of Huelva entails a trend change compared to previous years, when producers reduced their acreage.

In the first half of December, strawberry prices at origin stayed at normal levels for that time, with around 4 Euro/kg in week 49.

The strawberry marketing campaign only truly started in the Christmas period.

Source: agrodiariohuelva.es