Although the area planted under berries in Spain's leading production and export area, Huelva, decreased by 8.7%, production totalled 294,650 tons last season, up 2% on 2014/15, with sales rising 8% to €395.15 million, according to Freshuelva, the association representing Huelva’s strawberry growers and exporters.
Compared to the same period last year, Spanish export volumes for the first seven months of this year are up 27%, in the case of blueberries, and 22% in the case of raspberries.
Analysis of Customs’ export data by Fepex, the Spanish federation of associations of producers and exporters of fruits, vegetables, flowers and live plants, shows that for January to July 2016, strawberry exports stood at 305,066 tons, up 14% on the same period in 2015, and worth €223 million (+34%).
Blueberry exports totalled 33,718 tons (+27%) for a value of €248.5 million (+31%).
Raspberry exports came in at 27,751 tons (+22%) for a value of €224 million (+34%).
However, blackberry exports fell 2% to 1,956 tons but with the sales value up 15% to €13.4 million.
