El Price Observatory of the Junta de Andalucía includes in its initial report of the campaign red fruits 2020/2021 in Huelva that the total planted area of ​​all berries in the Huelva province is similar to that of the previous year, detecting a small contraction of 1,0%.

The greatest decline is recorded in the plantations of raspberries, since the surface destined to this berry it has been reduced by 10% compared to the 2019/2020 campaign. The surface strawberry it has also declined, although to a lesser extent, by around 1,8%. Only plantations of blueberries have increased this campaign by 7,2%, while the hectares of blackberry (around 181) remain stable.

With regard to strawberries, the report states that the harvest started in the middle of December, although with very small and very insignificant volumes, around 100 kilograms per week in some companies; This figure has increased with the Christmas period, although it will not be in full swing until March.
In general, the weather in recent weeks, characterized by cold and rain, is not negatively affecting the initial development of the season.

Regarding the main varieties used by the strawberry sector, the report that the Observatory of Prices and Markets of the Council of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Sustainable Development of the Board prepares with the data provided by the collaborating companies and entities, as Freshuelva, confirms that Fortuna It is the one that stands out the most.

In addition, he adds that the cold of mid-November and early December has favored this variety, by helping it to achieve optimal root development and, therefore, achieving "stronger plants". Other varieties indicated by the collaborating entities of the Observatory are Savana, Rabida o spray, Among others.

As the document also highlights, beyond the most widely planted varieties, this season small varietal tests are being carried out in small areas, with the aim of knowing how these new varieties work and analyzing their viability in future campaigns.

Pricing

According to the entities collaborating with the Prices and Markets Observatory, the 2020/21 raspberry campaign has been developing without notable incidents since the first weeks of September.

In this line, the harvest “is working without problem”, waiting for its highest production volume in April and is currently in the initial phase. As previously indicated, the sector highlights a negative evolution of the area planted in this season compared to the previous season.

The average price at origin in the province of Huelva in previous campaigns fluctuated between the € 5,84 / kg reached in 2017/18 and the € 5,24 / kg registered in 2016/17. In the last two seasons, the price has remained relatively stable, reaching € 5,35 / kg last season.

Regarding the evolution of the first weeks of the raspberry campaign (weeks 36-47 of 2020), it is worth highlighting the high prices registered in the month of October (weeks 40-43 of 2020), above their average weeks of the previous campaigns (period 2015 / 16-2019 / 20), a situation that also extended to the first week of November. From that date, prices contracted, falling below previous campaigns.

If the first prices for raspberry origin of the 2020/21 campaign are compared with the first prices of the last two campaigns, 2018/19 and 2019/20, it is confirmed that the initial prices of this campaign, mainly those registered in October, they were at higher values, although as of November there was a contraction in them, which reached below € 5,00 / kg in weeks 46 and 47, a price very far from the average from previous campaigns, around € 5,80 / kg.

Finally, and as previously noted, blueberry is the only berry experiencing an increase in its acreage. There is a greater varietal diversification, especially with the increase in early varieties that allow access to markets from the beginning of the year, even during the Christmas holidays, although with reduced volumes.

Although the campaign has not yet started (it is expected to be earlier than in previous years), the outlook is optimistic and positive, expecting an increase in production. In this line, the early blueberries "are ready", having positively received the cold of previous weeks, a beneficial factor for their production.