In 2018, the early strawberry production has been reduced by 70% compared to the previous year due to the weather, which delayed the campaign by a month compared to 2017; however, this has not taken a toll on the fruit's quality, which remains similar to that of previous years.
This has been reported by UPA Huelva in a statement, in which it says that the province of Huelva has been affected by storms which have taken a toll on the campaign's normal development.
The strawberry cultivation process begins in nurseries of Castile-Leon in spring. The plants are later brought to Huelva's farms.
This season, the period when the so-called "Mother Plant" is usually planted coincided with a time of heavy rains in Castile-Leon, so the start was delayed. Moreover, some high temperatures have been recorded in October on farms in Huelva.
In conclusion, the plants that reached the greenhouses of the province of Huelva at the time of the planting were not yet as developed as expected, so the production is being affected.
Representatives of UPA Huelva say that everything should fall back to the usual schedule this month, as long as the weather conditions permit it.
In any case, they have stressed that, "in no case has the quality of the final product been affected."
Source: EFE