Nevertheless, the Huelva sector is working to ensure that strawberries—the province’s flagship crop and hallmark—continue to reach European markets in the best possible condition.
This is explained by Rafael Domínguez, Managing Director of Freshuelva, who stresses that despite the climatic difficulties, the objective remains to maintain Huelva’s leadership as Europe’s main strawberry-producing region, with Germany, the United Kingdom and France as the principal destinations. “We are doing everything possible to ensure our products reach the market with the quality that defines us and to remain a benchmark in Europe,” he says.
Lower volume, higher value in strawberries
The 2024/25 strawberry campaign closed with mixed performance in volume and value. According to sector data, tonnage was approximately 5% lower than the previous season, a reduction directly linked to weather-related issues. However, turnover increased by 9.5%, reflecting efforts to prioritise quality and the strong positioning of the product in the markets.
The current campaign
At the start of the current season, conditions remain challenging. January is showing below-normal production, with a lower presence of strawberries and raspberries on the market due to vegetative delays in the plants. The combination of cold temperatures, persistent cloud cover, rainfall and high humidity is slowing fruit ripening and causing some losses.
Blueberries and raspberries: contrasting performances
Blueberries continue to consolidate their position as one of the most promising crops among Huelva’s berries. In the previous season, volumes grew by 8% and turnover increased by around 20%, driven by greater product acceptance and rising consumption both in Spain and in key markets such as the United Kingdom.
Raspberries, by contrast, are going through a more complex phase. As a crop that is in full production during autumn, it has been the most affected by persistent rainfall and lack of light. This has caused fruit damage and significantly lower production compared with other years, resulting in reduced availability on European markets.
Water: an unresolved structural problem
Beyond the short-term impact of the weather, Domínguez once again points to one of the sector’s major unresolved issues: water infrastructure. Although recent rains have delivered significant volumes of water, the lack of dams and storage systems prevents this resource from being harnessed, ultimately flowing into the sea.
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In this context, the Alcolea dam remains a key infrastructure for the future of the province. Its completion would ensure water supply not only for agriculture, but also for industry, tourism and flood prevention in the Odiel River basin. “If we had the necessary infrastructure, the rainfall of recent months would supply us for several seasons,” he warns.
Labour: new origins and pilot experiences
Another notable aspect of the campaign is the diversification of labour origins. This year, Freshuelva has launched several pilot recruitment initiatives that broaden the range of workers’ countries of origin.
For the first time, workers from Mauritania have arrived in Huelva, following a regular migration agreement with recruitment at origin. They are joined by contingents from Senegal—also new this season—alongside the usual workers from Morocco and Ibero-American countries such as Colombia, Honduras, Guatemala and Ecuador.
In addition, the sector is incorporating workers with international protection status, mainly from Mali—people fleeing conflict zones who are being integrated into the agricultural campaign under Spanish government programmes.
Keeping an eye on the market without losing leadership
Despite the difficulties, Huelva continues to work to maintain its position as a key supplier of berries to Europe. The priority is to guarantee product quality, even in a context marked by climatic instability, pressure on water resources and labour challenges.
“We continue to maintain a stable surface area, around +1%, and to supply our markets. The objective is to remain number one in Germany, the United Kingdom and France,” Domínguez concludes, confident that the sector’s efforts will overcome this early phase of the campaign, with hopes pinned on February and Valentine’s Day, when demand is particularly strong.
