The 2013/14 strawberry campaign in Huelva has got off to a strong start, with growers reporting good quality in early season varieties due to the warm, dry autumn.
Regional association Freshuelva said planted area was forecast to reach 6,980ha, a 2 per cent increase on last season.
Harvesting of early season varieties, which make up around a fifth of the total planted area, got underway at the end of December and is now in full swing. Freshuelva said volumes of short-day varieties such as Fortuna, San Andreas and Primoris are expected to last through to the end of January.
The dry weather augurs well for producers keen to avoid a repeat of last season, during which excessive rainfall caused extensive quality issues. As a result, production volumes fell by 10 per cent and the value of exports by 20 per cent.
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