The strawberry loses ground in the 2016/17 campaign against the rest of berries
Strawberry cultivation is down 7%, compared to the rest of berries (blueberries, raspberries and blackberries), which will increase by 22% for the 2016/17 season, according to data provided by the Onubense Association of Producers and Exporters of Strawberry (Freshuelva).
With this significant increase in berries plantations, the commitment to diversification of crops in the Huelva strawberry sector has been consolidated.
Remarkable, the increase of 30% of the surface of the cranberry, which surpasses for the first time the one of the raspberry
The planting phase of the recently completed 2016/2017 strawberry season yields a total planted area of all red fruits in the province of Huelva, which is growing by 3.85% compared to the 9,658 hectares of berries planted in the past annuity. On this occasion, they will be a total of 10,030 hectares dedicated to the red fruits.
In this context, the planted area of strawberry has gone from the 5,860 hectares of the last campaign, to the 5,400 hectares of the present one. As for raspberries, there will be 1,932 hectares planted, for the 1,815 that there was last year, which means an increase of 6.45% of area enabled for the production of this fruit.
In the case of blueberry, it will go from 1,953 to 2,538 hectares planted, which also translates into an increase of 30%, the highest of all berries, as the area of blackberries grows 23%: from 130 to 160 hectares. However, in the latter case, new extra-early varieties have been planted, which aim to cover a greater temporal space in the markets of this fruit.
It will be the first time that blueberry will be the second berry in planted area in the province of Huelva, although it must be taken into account that it is a shrub that starts its commercial production from the third year, with which, no all plants are in production this season.
The agrarian organization has verified that these last two crops have a greater projection towards the zone of the West Coast of Huelva, where the water of the surface is necessary for the same and, in fact, have been put into operation several farms of Companies from the County.
After the planting phase, rains have been recorded that have benefited the evolution of strawberry plants in the different growing areas of the province
Freshuelva stressed that these data show the consolidation of the commitment to the diversification of crops started in previous campaigns, thus ensuring the presence of berries of Huelva in the markets for almost nine months a year.
Source: Freshuelva
