Unseasonably low temperatures and rainfall in Spain have combined to limit availability of strawberries. John Grieve of importer Lisons reported that supplies from the Huelva area have been quite short for the past two weeks. "But thankfully the market has been quite quiet too," said Grieve. "Next week there will probably be more fruit available although cold temperatures are forecast again before the end of the week."

Rainfall at the end of February was so heavy that some high tunnels in the Huelva area were completely submerged and producers had to strip plants and pick carefully to avoid botrytis.

Problems were compounded last week when temperatures dropped not only in the growing areas, but snow and ice further north saw several key roads in Spain closed leaving lorries stranded and delaying fruit by 24 hours or more.

The result is extremely buoyant prices on export market with values per punnet some 25-50 per cent up on this time last year, running as high as 60p for 250g of fruit on some wholesale markets mid-week.

At Alconera Bill Ashby told the Journal that picking returned to normal this week. "It is still quite cold at night 7°C to 8°C, rather than the 10°C to 11°C for this time of year, but we are through the rain now and looking forward to strong sales for the next four to six weeks."

Ashby also pointed out that this season for the first time, new varieties are being grown in Spain in sufficient volumes to flatten out the peak and trough situation brought about by dependence on Camarosa. "Some of our varieties from the Driscoll breeding programme are stretching the season both ways with more fruit available earlier and extending the peak into April and May," said Ashby.

Varieties from the Planesa breeding programme are having a similar effect maturing slightly earlier or later than Camarosa and evening out the availability of fruit from Spain through the season.

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