Spanish raspberry export volumes last week increased for almost every EU destination, except for Portugal. Exports to non-EU countries also grew by around 61%.
According to data provided by the Association of Producers and Exporters of Strawberries from Huelva (Freshuelva), some of these countries include Switzerland and Russia, amongst others.
Overall exported volumes have increased by around 23.73% compared to the previous campaign, and exports to EU countries have grown by approximately 21.52%.
The leading raspberry consumer is the United Kingdom, which imported 34.79% of Huelva's production, more than 3,500 tonnes. It is followed by Germany, with 23.74%, and the Netherlands, with 16.76%. Exports to France have fallen by 20.41%; however, this country still consumes up to 11.60% of the production.
Other raspberry importers include Belgium, Italy, Austria and Ireland. Meanwhile, exports to Portugal have experienced a drastic 78% drop as a result of the increase in domestic production.
Last June, the province's raspberry campaign closed with a 5% drop in production volumes and this had a direct toll on the revenue, which fell by 2%, from 70.75 million Euro in 2012 to 69.5 million.
The production reached 10,550 tonnes, compared to last year's 11,010, and prices have increased by approximately 2%. The acreage has remained similar, at around 1,200 hectares. Of the total harvest, 10,400 tonnes were sold for fresh consumption while the rest was intended for industrial processing.
Regarding raspberry consumption in Spain, Freshuelva manager Rafael Domínguez Guillén pointed out that "the fruit is still not very popular in our country," and so, he encourages its promotion at a domestic level.
The sector wishes to enter new destinations, such as South Africa and some Asian countries; however, he stressed the "difficulties entailed in doing so due to their various border restrictions."
