Cooperative launches new season marked by “growth, varietal innovation, and a commitment to sustainability”
Fresón de Palos, Europe’s biggest strawberry supplier, has expanded its grower base and productive area and renewed its commitment to varietal innovation and sustainability as it fires the starting gun on the new season.
The Huelva-based cooperative has planted 73mn plants – all originating from its nurseries in Ávila and Segovia – for 2025/26, an increase of 7 per cent on last season. At the same time, acreage has grown by 10 per cent as a result of new members joining the group, bringing the total number to 162.
“The main varieties this season are RedSayra, Marisma, and Duna, selected for their organoleptic quality and agronomic adaptation,” the company said. “This is complemented by our strawberry breeding programme developed at our experimental farm, where we also conduct numerous trials of new varieties, as well as collaborative agreements with various international breeders to advance the introduction of premium varieties.”
Climate remains a major challenge for the 2025 season. Temperature variability, irregular rainfall, and, especially, the lack of water infrastructure in the province of Huelva continue to decisively influence agricultural planning.
“Added to this is the growing difficulty in obtaining sufficient labour, both on our farmers’ farms and in the handling and packaging centres – a structural challenge that affects the entire value chain,” the cooperative said.
“Both challenges are shared by the entire berry sector in the province and are critical not only for the future viability of the sector but also for the economic and social development of Huelva.”
Fresón de Palos highlighted its pivotal role in the regional economy, generating more than 7,000 jobs during the harvest season, and within an ecosystem that encompasses nearly 150,000 direct and indirect jobs in the province.
The cooperative also reaffirmed its commitment to an environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable production model, based on the efficient use of resources, continuous process improvement, and the well-being of the farming families that make up the cooperative.
The organisation said it would continue to promote innovation as a strategic priority, through varietal research, digitalization and the use of AI, as well as the implementation of new agricultural techniques aimed at improving fruit quality and the competitiveness of farms.
“This campaign represents a step forward for the cooperative. We are growing in membership, acreage, and production capacity, but above all in knowledge and commitment to the future of the sector. Our goal remains to offer consumers the best possible strawberries, cultivated with rigor, respect for the environment, and a dedication to excellence,” Fresón de Palos said.
