"Strawberry demand now exceeds the supply and prices continue to rise"

Huelva's strawberry campaign has taken a big turn in just a few days, in which the demand has awakened across Europe while there is still a limited supply.

"We started the year with stagnant sales since the high temperatures recorded until recently, improper for winter, accelerated the production process in the field," said Victoria Martin of the marketing and sales department of Grupo Plus Berries. "However, the European lines for Spanish strawberries were not yet open, partly because there was still some local production, but mostly because of the presence of strawberries from other third party origins, especially Egypt."

"However, in recent days, the situation has been completely reversed, as the colder weather has slowed down the production, and with the lines open in several European countries, the demand is greater than the supply we have in Huelva. Prices are rising, and we expect this trend to continue in the coming weeks," she said

"There is not as much competition from Moroccan strawberries since their production has dropped due to problems with the strawberry plants and the heavy rains in December. Nevertheless, Egypt continues to grow and gain ground in Europe, as it manages to ship decent quality strawberries by plane at competitive prices thanks to low labor costs and the aid they receive from their government when chartering their shipments," says Victoria Martin.

Introduction for the first time of organic strawberries and residue-free avocados
This season, Plus Berries is launching its first certified organic strawberries, which for now will be marketed in the Iberian Peninsula and the United Kingdom. Growing organic strawberries is no easy task, according to Victoria Martín.

"Unlike other strawberries available on the market, whose production is mainly focused on achieving great yields to compensate for the lack of conventional treatments and fertilizers, we have opted mainly for flavor with our exclusive variety Candela®, developed in our trial fields, as well as another variety for which we do not yet have a commercial name. Although the Iberian market for organic products has awakened later and at a slower pace compared to other northern European countries, it is growing steadily, and there are consumers willing to pay the price differential, especially in big cities like Barcelona or Madrid," she said.

The company's product range is also expanding with the introduction of zero-residue avocados, of which it will have 340 hectares. "This shows the diversification of the production currently ongoing in Huelva, where berries, citrus fruits, and stone fruit are not the only products grown. In addition to having a Zerya certificate for zero-waste production, our productions are SPRING-certified, which guarantees efficient water use."