Cool temperatures and lack of sunlight are slowing ripening, while the limited supply is driving up prices
The 2025/26 strawberry harvest in Huelva has begun with lower weekly volumes than expected due to the adverse weather conditions the region has been experiencing since mid-December.
According to the latest report from the Andalusian Regional Government’s Price and Market Observatory, low temperatures and a lack of daylight hours have slowed ripening, leading to the volume of strawberries sold up to the second week of the year barely reaches 1 per cent of the total estimated for the season.
As a result, farmgate prices are higher than those recorded in the previous two seasons and also exceed the average of the last four. But the Observatory noted that strawberries from Belgium and Portugal continue to fetch significantly higher prices than those from Spain.
Regarding raspberries, the Observatory said production is currently experiencing its lowest point of the season, coinciding with the transition period between the end of the autumn harvest and the start of the second harvest. By the second week of 2026, it is estimated that around 31 per cent of the total projected volume has been sold, with prices also above the average of the last four seasons.
The blueberry season has also started with reduced volumes, below expectations. Although harvesting began early, Huelvan blueberries still have a limited presence in international markets, where fruit from Latin America continues to dominate. As with strawberries, the volume sold so far is less that 1 per cent of the total projected for the season.
