Fresón de Palos has kicked off a new season with the first strawberries already available on the market and with outlooks strengthened by the cooperative’s growth, the expansion of productive area and a firm commitment to varietal innovation and sustainability.
The cooperative has increased its number of strawberry plants by 7%, reaching 73 million, all cultivated in the fields of Palos de la Frontera and surrounding areas, following planting last October. The plants come from its own nurseries located in Nava de Arévalo (Ávila) and Navalmanzano (Segovia).
Growth is also reflected in the membership base. Fresón de Palos has continued its opening process and incorporated new farmers, reaching 162 members. At the same time, the cooperative has expanded its cultivated area, with a 10% increase in hectares devoted to production.
In this campaign, the main strawberry varieties will be RedSayra, Marisma and Duna, selected for their organoleptic quality and agronomic adaptation. “We have our own strawberry breeding programme developed at our experimental farm, where we also carry out multiple trials of new varieties, as well as collaboration agreements with different international breeders to advance the introduction of premium varieties,” explains Enrique Muñoz, Marketing Director.
Challenges
The climatic context once again stands among the main challenges for the 2025/26 season. Temperature variability, irregular rainfall episodes and, in particular, the lack of water infrastructure in the province of Huelva continue to decisively condition agricultural planning.
Added to this is the growing difficulty in securing sufficient labour, both on farms and at handling and packing facilities—a structural challenge affecting the entire value chain.
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Both challenges are shared across the berry sector in the province and are critical not only to the sector’s future viability but also to Huelva’s economic and social development. The sector’s weight in provincial employment is decisive: “Our cooperative and its members alone generate more than 7,000 jobs during the season, within an ecosystem that reaches around 150,000 direct and indirect jobs in the province,” notes the executive.
Commitments
The entity continues to promote innovation as a strategic axis, through varietal research, digitalisation and the use of AI, as well as the implementation of new agricultural techniques aimed at improving fruit quality and farm competitiveness.
“This campaign represents a step forward for the cooperative. We are growing in members, surface area and productive capacity, but above all in knowledge and commitment to the future of the sector. Our goal remains to offer consumers the best possible strawberry, grown with rigour, respect for the environment and a vocation for excellence,” Muñoz concludes.
