Counter-season berries

  • Published on 4/04/2017 - Published by BENOIT-CELEYRETTE Cécilia
  • FruiTrop n°247 , Page From 26 to 29
  • Free

Berries changing their colours!

The berries market is in the midst of a transformation. The qualitative enhancement of its strawberry production has helped Spain hold its position, although the competition has intensified with other European countries extending their production calendar. Furthermore, this pressure has encouraged many operators to diversify their range, first of all with raspberries, but also now with blueberries, and to a lesser degree blackberries.   

Informations

PrintSave

Open/Close Shop

Summary

Spain providing new tastes and colours

Although Spanish strawberry exports have remained at around 300 000 t, surface areas have shrunk for the past three years and are 7 % down this year on 2016 (5 400 ha), having peaked at nearly 7 000 ha in 2014.

However, the total berries surface area of the Huelva zone is up by 4 % overall (10 030 ha) due to diversification. This began with the raspberry, just before the 2000s (300 ha), and its progress is still ongoing (1 945 ha, i.e. + 7 % on 2016). However it is above all the blueberry (2 538 ha, i.e. + 30 %), and to a lesser degree the blackberry (160 ha, i.e. + 23 %), which is now seeing the biggest rises. Blueberry planting is now greater than for the raspberry, with the full harvest not due for three years.

Nonetheless, the strawberry remains a major asset for Spanish production. Exports are actually tending to refocus on the more lucrative North European markets, with a total of 302 000 to 311 000 t depending on the sources for last campaign, i.e. + 11 to + 14 % from 2016. Spanish producers have begun a vast research programme to select tastier varieties, to provide distinction. This transformation has been ongoing for a while already, with varieties such as Candonga chosen to replace the iconic Camarosa, which now represents just under 10 % of surface areas. It continued with Sabrina (35 % of surface areas in 2015-2016), which along with Splendor and Fortuna make up the leading trio. It should even gather pace with the research conducted in collaboration between the industry, research units and selectors in order to test more distinctive varieties better suited to the locality. The work has led to several creations, including the Rociera variety (A10-48-3) by FNM (Fresas Nuevos Materiales), which seems to be a roaring success in production, with more than 50 million plants planed this year, as opposed to 1 million in testing last year. Furthermore, the various professional federations (Interfresa, FAECA, UPA, ASAJA, COAG and Freshuelva), under the aegis of the Andalusian government, recently formed a working group responsible for dreaming up future avenues for the industry, and planning the governance of the companies under a “Huelva strawberries” PGI.

Exports are rising steadily for other berries, in pace with the production increase. Practically all Spanish raspberry and blueberry volumes are exported primarily to the European market, i.e. approximately 20 000 t for each species. 

berries - EU28 - extra european imports and spain
berries - EU28 - extra european imports and spain

Blue on the horizon for Morocco

Morocco has lost the most strawberry market share in the fresh segment, despite the support of the “Maroc Vert” plan. Surface areas are reportedly stable at around 3 500 ha, with volumes switching toward the industrial segment, where this source has won market share from Spain. The range has also developed to stick more to the fresh market, with the varieties Splendor and Sabrina which have gained the upper hand over Camarosa. However, producers must maintain dual-purpose varieties so as to be able to send their produce to either of the outlets, depending on the cyclical conditions.

They are also staking heavily on the other berries. The first attempts at introducing raspberry and blueberry cultivation date from the early 2000s in the Loukkos zone. However, since the varieties were introduced from Europe, their development has been curbed by the necessary adaptation to Morocco’s climate conditions. So raspberry production was only really launched in 2005. From 30 ha, surface areas have seen regular expansion ever since, maintaining a rate of approximately 20 to 25 % per year, to reportedly in excess of 500 ha at present.

Similarly, blueberry cultivation is booming, especially since this berry has a longer shelf life than the strawberry or raspberry, and is very well-suited to various types of soil and climate conditions. Hence five years after the first trials conducted in Moulay Bousselham, more than 500 ha has reportedly been planted already with the support of the “Maroc Vert” plan, which is aiming for more than 1 000 ha by 2020, or eventually up to 3 000 ha for an export potential of 30 000 t.

Raspberry surface areas could eventually reach 1 500 ha for an export potential of 15 000 t, with plantations also being developed in the south of the country. However, producers dread rapid saturation of the market, especially since planting is still not being carried out with suitable varieties, which could cause qualitative heterogeneity in exported produce.

Warning lights set to be triggered in the Southern Hemisphere

This is already taking shape for the counter-season source, with a runaway planting rate and exacerbating competition. Surface areas have more than doubled in South America, with 10 000 ha planted between 2005 and 2012. In Chile, the pioneer for this crop in the 1980s, although the planting rate is slowing down now, the potential should increase over the coming years, with young orchards entering production. The source currently has a potential of more than 100 000 t for a surface area of approximately 16 000 ha.

Yet the greatest rise is expected in Peru. Surface areas presently cover 2 250 ha, as opposed to just 30 ha in 2010. The country’s biggest companies are taking turns to announce new projects, ranging from 300 ha to 600 ha per year. For its part, the Ministry for Agriculture has launched an aid programme for small producers, facilitating their set-up by providing plants, aid in the form of funding and technical support to start production. Surface areas should reach 4 000 ha in 2016, with a projected figure of around 7 000 ha in 2021.

Other countries are also stepping up their blueberry production, especially China (12 000 ha in 2012) and Poland (3 500 ha in 2012). So in the coming years, the issue of calendar overlap between the various sources will arise, although the blueberry enjoys high conservability, with controlled-atmosphere storage - though this still needs to be optimised

Click "Continue" to continue shopping or "See your basket" to complete the order.