Strawberry production forecast for 2021.

This week the strawberry contact group from France, Spain, Italy and Portugal gathered via videoconference in order to discuss perspectives of the strawberry production campaign in 2021. The event was organized by Freshuelva and Fepex.

Along with professionals from these 4 countries, there were representatives of the Ministries of Agriculture and heads of different embassies.

France anticipates that the 2021 season will not last long and the strawberry production for this season will be around 29.000 tons.

Xavier Mas, the head of the Association of Organizations of Strawberry Producers of France, AOP Fraise de France, which groups almost half of the strawberry grown in France, specified that the area in 2020 was 3.299 hectares, remaining stable compared to the last 5 years, and production has also remained stable, totaling 57.683 tons.

Italy. On the part of the Italian sector, led by Pietro Ciardiello from OI Ortofruttailtalia, they project an increase of 9 percent compared to 2020, totaling 3.962 hectares. Unlike Spain, with the bulk of the production in Huelva, in Italy it is grown throughout the country, although the regions of Basilicata and Campania stand out with 50 percent of the total cultivated area. The increase in the area will be seen especially in the southern areas, with stabilization in the central area and a slight decline in the north.

The exported volume of Italian strawberries in 2020 reached 10.672 tons, 17 percent less than in 2019. Italy dedicates a large part of its production to national consumption, which means that the export volume is not very high.

In value, Italian strawberry exports were also down 6 percent, totaling 30.028 million euros.

Imports in 2020 were also reduced by 27 percent in volume, totaling 30.364 tons. Spain was the first supplier to Italy, with 24.890 tons imported (-28 percent).

Portugal. Those responsible for the Portuguese sector highlighted that the strawberry area in their country is at 323 hectares, and provides about 10.000 tons. Faced with the 2020 campaign, they highlighted that it started badly due to the pandemic, but it improved during the months and the sale prices were higher than in 2019.

Spain. The head of Freshuelva, Rafael Domínguez, commented that this season the strawberry area has decreased by 2 percent, from 6.217 hectares in 2020 to 6.105 hectares. The 2021 campaign is expected to be a complicated one for Spain, due to the repercussions related to the Covid, projecting a decrease in strawberry production of 20 percent, as well as a decrease in consumption.

He added that there will be more varieties, especially the early ones that allow them to enter the market earlier than in previous years.

source: freshuelva

photo: theguardian