Spain: "We want to do with the blueberry what we have achieved with raspberry"
Onubafruit is a clear example of crop diversification. This year it expects a production of 32.000 tons of strawberry, which is maintained compared to other years, around 10.000 tons of raspberry, 1.200 tons of blackberries and will go from 8.000 to 13.000 tons of blueberries.
The production area of blueberries has increased by 30% since last season, being the berry that undoubtedly grows the most, along with raspberries and, for yet another year, Huelva farmers have once again reduced their strawberry production.
The cooperative has its own selection program for raspberry, blueberry, strawberry and blackberry varieties on its experimental farms in Lepe, which receives the collaboration of breeders from the United States, England, the Netherlands and other parts of the world. Although they started with a small plot, the project is growing in magnitude, such is their latest investment of one million euros in a new 8-hectare experimental farm.
"We have prospects for growth in market share with our exclusive raspberry varieties Lagorai, Kwely, Vajolet and Imara, which allow us to have raspberries throughout the year. We have 8 new varieties in testing period. We have the capacity to continue growing with a marketing model that satisfies both the producer and the customer and ensures profitability for all parts of the chain"Says Marco Antonio Vaz, technical director of Onubafruit.
In Cranberry, "the way forward for the cooperative is the same as with raspberry, with obtaining exclusive varieties", According to Marcos Antonio Vaz,"the production period is getting longer and longer. We are advancing in earlier primo cane varieties that will compete with imported varieties from the southern hemisphere. We still have many months of production to cover in Huelva".
"The berries that we produce and sell are all selected in Huelva, taking into account the adaptation to the particularities of our climate, such as the marked thermal jump between day and night and the management of pests present in this area.", Explains Marco Antonio Vaz.
According to the expert, when selecting a variety of berries, two important factors are taken into account: flavor and shelf life, which never go hand in hand. "With the export boom in the berry sector, with a view even outside European borders, the shelf life and adaptation of varieties to long journeys are increasingly taken into account when selecting a variety, for example, raspberry".
The management of pests is relatively easy in blueberries, while in raspberries it is more complicated and in strawberries, even more. "Our pest management combines biological control with agrochemicals for years, with a very downward trend in the use of agrochemicals and production with increasingly integrated protection"He says.
Onubafruit plans to open a "berryteca", to transmit knowledge to children about the cultivation of berries and to teach them to enjoy them, with all the benefits they bring to their health. The next season will surprise the market with a new strawberry variety that is already in its final testing phase.
Source: Fresplaza.es
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