Europe: Berry season in the northern hemisphere takes shape

Europe: The northern hemisphere berry season takes shape

16/03/2016

Season "berries" in the northern hemisphere in general it has been early this year, because of the warm winter caused by the effects of El Niño. Strawberries and blueberries from Spain in particular have arrived three weeks ahead of the previous year.

“Availability of strawberries and raspberries has been much better this year and retailers have taken advantage of the early season with stronger offerings on shelves, delivering a 26% increase in market value (£34,7m sterling, or 44,2 million euros) for the 4 main 'berries'*», according to David Buxcey, of Angus Soft Fruits (ASF).

The blueberry season in Chile, in the southern hemisphere, has suffered a slower onset with a delay of about one week. Buxcey explains that this has caused a more adjusted initial period for Chilean blueberries in December, but the effect of the entry into the Peruvian production market has dimmed the availability slightly. “The way the northern hemisphere season is shaping up, we should see a much smoother transition this year and maintain the momentum of strong sales.”.

El Niño has drastically changed weather patterns. “Recently, there has been a lot of rain in Spain and Morocco, which makes managing quality more difficult. There has been a hurricane in Mexico that has seriously affected the availability of blackberries at the beginning of November."explains Buxcey.

As for a possible gap in the market, it is difficult to say. «The length of the Spanish season depends largely on the quality of the products at the end of April and May, when temperatures in Spain increase. Currently, we do not foresee any gap.".

Source: Freshplaza