The volume of Andalusian strawberry exports, whose production concentrates mainly in the province of Huelva, increased between December and March by 33 % compared to the same period of the previous season.
This is reflected in the latest report of the Prices and Markets Observatory of Andalusia, where it states that a total of 92,015 tonnes were exported in that period, compared to the 69,417 tonnes of the previous campaign.
Of all exports, 87,934 tonnes were shipped to the EU, while the remaining 4,081 tonnes went to non-EU countries.
Regarding the value of the production exported, the report shows that between December and March a 17 % increase was registered; from 152,769,000 Euro last season to 179.239,000 Euro this campaign, 167,763,000 of which corresponded to sales in EU markets and the rest to non-EU countries.
The average value of strawberries in the European markets was of 1.91 €/kilo until March, compared to the 2.16 €/kilo of the previous season.
The difference has become even more noticeable later in the campaign, to the point that since April there have been weeks that the price per kilo has barely reached 0.40 cents, preventing growers from covering their production costs.
It is precisely the post-April market situation of the strawberry importing countries which is said will define the sector's results by the end of a campaign they call "disastrous", estimating that the total value of these exports may fall by up to 25 %.
Source: Efe