Huelva's berry campaign is in its final stage. Despite the water shortages, labor limitations, and restrictions on soil disinfection that marked the campaign, the quality of the fruit was high and prices in the first months were good. The start of the season was full of uncertainties, especially due to the 50% restrictions on water for irrigation supply, which led producers to forecast a decrease in production compared to previous years.
Last season, production had already decreased and stood at 243,000 tons of strawberries (-10%), 47,750 tons of raspberries (-4.5%), and 53,190 tons of blueberries (-10%), according to data from Huelva's Association of Strawberry Producers and Exporters (Freshuelva). Rafael Dominguez Guillen, Freshuelva's manager, said there had been two phases in the current campaign. The first was marked by water restriction and the second by the fruit's good reception in the market, despite the weather adversities that have affected the consistency of the fruit towards the end.
One of the most significant problems was the shortage of hired labor for the harvest, as less than 10% of the 120,000 people who normally work during the entire campaign were hired. This shortage of workers was aggravated by the lower need for labor at the beginning of the campaign due to the reduction in the production volume and the high temperatures that made it almost impossible to harvest the fruit in optimal conditions for its commercialization.
Prices were very positive at the beginning of the campaign favored by the excellent quality of the fruit and the decrease in production volume; however, they fell significantly towards the end of the season due to competition from other European Union countries' fruit. As a result, the end of the campaign was less favorable than what producers in Huelva expected.
Looking ahead to the next campaign, Freshuelva calls on administrations to address the sector's most critical challenges: ensuring sufficient water and labor to develop the season in optimal conditions and allowing soil disinfection. These measures are crucial so that Huelva's berry sector, a leader job and wealth creator in the province, can continue developing.
Source: huelvainformacion.es