Huelva's strawberry season is moving forward on week 15 with a stagnant market and low prices as a result of production imbalances; however, the situation is expected to improve in the final stages.
"The market is a living being that reacts and is sensitive to any changes in the production process," states Sergio Sainz, Commercial Director of the cooperative Cuna de Platero, of Moguer. "Right now, neither demand nor the prices are good, but hopefully the situation will change in less than a week and we are confident that the markets will react positively. We are feeling optimistic," he added.
When asked about the impact of competition from third countries, like Morocco and Egypt, which also market their fruit during the first stages of the Spanish season, Sergio Sainz assured that "for us, they are not really strong competition, because the origins are well differentiated and, therefore, the prices too."
However, the Netherlands, Belgium, France and Italy already have significant volumes for their local markets and for export to countries such as Germany and the UK. "We obviously lose some market share then, but at the moment, we do not look at this with concern," he says. "Cuna de Platero's fresh fruit will continue reaching the markets for the remainder of April and May."
Cuna de Platero will continue targeting European consumers
At present, the Moguer-based cooperative is marketing the same varieties as those sold at the start of the campaign. "We mainly focus on varieties developed by and for Huelva, with a good taste, consistent and with a long shelf life," affirms the representative.
"We are committed especially to the most dynamic European markets, without neglecting any trends outside Europe, even though that is not among our main objectives. For Cuna de Platero, the main goal is to meet the expectations of European consumers, including the Spanish, and to this end we work to meet the highest quality standards, delivering fresh fruit within 48 hours anywhere in Europe," he concludes.
