The strawberry contact group, which is made up of France, Italy, Portugal, and Spain, and met on March 5 and 6 in Policoro, Italy, stressed that one of the major difficulties that EU farms are facing is the disappearance of effective active substances and adequate phytosanitary tools to combat crop diseases and pests. That's why they will ask the European Commission to apply Annex I of Regulation 1107/2009, for mutual recognition in the approvals of new products against diseases and pests. This way, when a product is authorized in one country, it would be automatically authorized in all the countries of the same area, speeding up authorization procedures.
At the meeting, the sectors of the countries represented highlighted the need to introduce new agriculture 4.0 systems, such as the installation of control units for the monitoring of climate data and phenological phases to identify the most appropriate times to distribute the right amounts of water and fertilizers, which would bring savings in nutrients and water consumption.
The Strawberry Contact Group also analyzed the season. Freshuelva, Spain's representative in this contact group, through Fepex, highlighted that production in Spain had decreased by 9% last season but that exports had increased by 8%. They also stressed that this year, the total berry area increased by 4%, reaching 12,274 hectares, 6,432 of which are dedicated to strawberries. The 25% restrictions on irrigation water and the shortage of labor are the main problems faced by Spanish producers, who also highlighted the lack of active materials to deal with pests.
The French sector, led by the Association of Strawberry Producers' Organizations of France, AOP Fraise de France, highlighted that France had produced 60,000 tons of strawberries and 3,000 tons of raspberries in 2024, destined almost exclusively for domestic consumption. The area devoted to strawberry cultivation remains stable at around 3,500 hectares. According to the French growers, the 2024 season was generally positive in terms of prices and somewhat shorter in terms of production. They also stated that the main issues they face are the increase in labor costs and the lack of active materials to combat pests.
The Italian delegation, made up of representatives of companies and organizations such as Fruitimprese, Italia Ortofrutta, and Confragricoltura, stated that the 2024 strawberry season was very satisfactory, with an increase in domestic consumption. The strawberry area increased by 2% over the previous season, reaching 4,200 hectares, mostly in the south and in macro-tunnels. The surface area devoted to the rest of the berries stands at approximately 2,500 hectares. Like the rest of the European producers, they also highlighted the significant complications they encounter in the fight against pests and diseases.
Finally, the Portuguese delegation reported that their raspberry production had experienced remarkable growth in recent years, both in hectares and volume, placing the country in an outstanding position within the raspberry market. They also stressed that, despite the significant increase in strawberry hectares in recent years, Portugal still needs to import this product, especially from Spain, to meet national demand. The growth of the berry sector in this country depends on the availability of water and labor, they added. This season, Portugal has 600 hectares of strawberries, 1,650 hectares of raspberries, 2,500 hectares of blueberries, and 180 hectares of blackberries.
The contact group also analyzed the evolution of berry production as a whole in the member countries, highlighting the European sector's commitment to diversifying into products such as raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries, led by Spanish production, which has several more years of experience.
After the meeting, the professionals and representatives from the Ministries of Agriculture of each country that make up the group visited Nova Siri Genetics' Research and Experimentation Center. They toured its laboratory, the growth greenhouse, and the company's strawberry and berries experimental fields. They also got to exchange impressions with the company's team of experts.
For more information:
Fepex
www.fepex.es