Recovery in Spanish Strawberry Production Amidst Rising Costs

The strawberry season in Huelva, Spain, for 2025/26 is experiencing a resurgence after a challenging start marked by storm-induced losses. According to the Price and Market Observatory of the Regional Government of Andalusia, production volumes by week 16 were only 5% below the previous year, indicating a significant recovery.

Initially, the scarcity of strawberries allowed competitors like Greece to capture market share at better prices. However, the weather improvement from mid-March has facilitated a production recovery, stabilizing prices from weeks 13 to 15 despite a dramatic drop in week 12.

Farmgate prices for all berries in Huelva have decreased due to the increased supply. By last week, strawberry supply had started to recover internationally, while blueberry volumes were growing as anticipated. However, raspberry volumes fell in week 15, struggling to offset severe losses from the autumn harvest.

Blueberry sales volumes are currently down 13% compared to last year, although peak production is just beginning. The report suggests that it is still uncertain if these losses can be mitigated in the coming weeks.

Additionally, production costs have surged, attributed to the war in the Persian Gulf, leading to record-high agricultural input prices within a few weeks.