The first pallets of Calinda strawberries arrived at Special Fruit last week, marking the traditional start of the premium variety's season at the Belgian importer with the beginning of the new year. "It looks very promising so far. The quality is excellent, and we are already noticing a market demand for high-quality, flavorful Spanish strawberries," says Polina Valkanova of Special Fruit.
The company's import season actually began in November, with the first arrivals from Morocco and air freight from Egypt. "We are pleased with how this is progressing. The quality from both origins was excellent in November and December, which contributed to successful Christmas and year-end promotions. Even with the Spanish season underway, we will continue importing Moroccan strawberries for a while, focusing on better varieties such as Leticia, Victory, and Palmeritas. Our aim is to sustain this until the quality no longer meets the expectations of our retail customers. We hope this will last as long as last year when we sold the final Moroccan strawberries in week 14."
Good demand despite high prices and Egyptian sea freight volumes
Since last week, the focus has shifted back to the supply from Spain. "As noted, we received the first pallets from growers who planted them as early as last week. Starting this week, all our Calinda growers will begin harvesting their initial volumes, and we expect daily arrivals by the beginning of next week. Additionally, the first batches of the Bachata variety, our newest premium option, are now being harvested, and we anticipate being able to offer these soon as well."
Polina is satisfied with the quality so far. "Thanks to favorable weather conditions in Huelva, the quality of the initial Spanish strawberries is excellent. The early varieties already demonstrate their high standards in the first weeks." Even the disaster at the end of October did not hinder the Special Fruit growers. "Although the flooding occurred relatively close to our strawberry growing areas, fortunately, our growers did not suffer any damage," she explains.
"Overall, the outlook remains extremely positive," she adds. Special Fruit's largest markets for Spanish strawberries are in Scandinavia, the Baltics, and the Benelux countries. "The La Niña climate pattern is expected to ensure a stable, warm winter in Huelva, leading to a smooth production curve. Moreover, demand is already strong. While Egyptian strawberries are still entering the market via sea freight at very competitive prices, many retailers are choosing Spanish strawberries for their consistently superior quality. We expect this trend to grow in the coming weeks, especially with the launch of the first supermarket promotions across Europe."
For more information:
Polina Valkanova
Special Fruit
Europa Street 36
2321 Meer, Belgium
Tel: +32 33 17 06 60
[email protected]
www.specialfruit.be