“Demand for Spanish strawberries is currently comparable to previous years, but we’re seeing a rising line week after week. The season started a bit later in Spain. This was mostly the result of the weather last autumn. The season has been back on schedule for some weeks now, and volumes are also showing a rising line,” says Sarah Hellemans of Special Fruit. Under normal circumstances, the Spanish strawberry season lasts until the final week of May or the first week of June for Special Fruit, but the company also has good volumes of local product from mid-April.
No longer a seasonal product
Special Fruit has noticed that consumption of strawberries increases a bit every year. “Consumers no longer consider strawberries to be a seasonal product. This is in part due to investments in varieties, so that we can offer a good alternative for local strawberries, which hold a special place in our heart, during the winter period,” Sarah continues. “In March we always see a peak in the consumption of Spanish strawberries. A lot of consumers move on from typical winter dishes and start preparing for spring. Strawberries are definitely a part of this.”
Calinda
“The Calinda strawberry season is going very well. We’ve already managed to sell good volumes. Strawberries will naturally always be a product sensitive to weather, so when the weather’s bad, we immediately notice that in our supply. The Calinda is distinctive because of its good shelf life, large size and flavour,” Sarah explains. The Spanish blueberry season has now also started, but volumes are still low. “We’re hoping volumes will start increasing within the next three weeks or so. Normally, the Spanish blueberry season starts in week 11 and lasts until around week 26. The organic season normally starts a bit later in week 13 or 14 and lasts until week 24 or 25. We’re expecting a regular season as a result of the lack of rain in the blueberry region. Warm weather is positive for the development of the fields and plants.”
The raspberry in Special Fruit’s assortment comes from various countries in the Mediterranean. “We can produce and plant new varieties over a long period in this region because of the multiple climate zones. The local raspberry production will start again soon, and we’ve sold the first Kwanza Collos earlier this week,” Sarah concludes.
For more information:
Special Fruit
Europastraat 36
2321 Meer - Belgium
Tel: +32 3 33 01 792
[email protected]
www.specialfruit.be