300,000 t of 'red gold' - will there be competition from China too in future?

摘要

The times when strawberries were known as "red gold" in Huelva are long gone. However, cultivation is still profitable when the climate in Huelva and on the markets does its bit. The 2005 season was a problem. The January temperatures in Lepe droppedto as low as -7°C. Plants and producers suffered until March, When it got nice and warm again in the Easter week, production "exploded". The fruits ripened before they were fully grown. Sales stagnated. The prices dropped, and for many a producer, the season didn't end in June but in the first half of May. The strawberry people are a tough lot - they don't let the weather get them down.