One of the most important factors in the berry campaign is the choice of varieties to be planted. The aim is to achieve a combination of earliness, hardiness, disease resistance and above all, a good taste throughout the entire production campaign, and Emco Cal’s strawberry and berry varieties provide all these characteristics, as demonstrated by the results of the 2023/24 season that has just ended in Huelva.

The programs of Emco Cal, the University of Florida and Masiá Ciscar accounted for 35-40% of the market share of the strawberry varieties planted in the province, with varieties such as the Felicity, Fortuna, Palmeritas, Leticia and, of course, the white strawberry marketed under the Florida Pearl brand, said Mamen Sánchez at the 9th edition of the International Berry Congress.

“The berry varietal scene, especially the strawberry one, has changed drastically in recent years,” she said. “Two decades ago, there was very little varietal diversity in Huelva and for years it has been very difficult to introduce new varieties in the province; however, in recent years, innovation has been boosted and many new varieties have been introduced.”

“Emco Cal has contributed to improving the varietal range by introducing new and better varieties every year that offer multiple advantages to producers. This allows growers to diversify their markets and make the most of each variety at any given time, although it is also very complex. The sector has become much more competitive as new varieties are developed. The results achieved each season show that Emco Cal has gained a strong foothold in Huelva and that growers are choosing our varieties because they guarantee productivity and profitability.” It is worth recalling that Emco Cal has diversified its range with other berries, such as blackberries. For example, we have the Danna and Kelly brand, and we also have raspberries such as the Kokanee. We also have the blueberry variety Cupla for many countries outside Europe which has low to zero cold requirements.”

According to the Andalusian Regional Government’s Prices and Markets Observatory, Spain is the EU’s main strawberry supplier, accounting for 52.6% of the volume and 48% of the value of EU imports. The province of Huelva is the biggest player in the sector, accounting for 97.1% of the Spanish production and 26.5% of the EU production.

“Huelva is one of our main markets and this is why Emco Cal has been an official sponsor of the International Berry Congress in the province for the last nine years,” says Mamen. “The evolution of the event has been incredible and we have never seen so many attendees as in this 9th edition in which, according to Freshuelva, 1,500 accredited visitors have attended. Many of them were representatives of the Huelva sector, but there are more and more international companies coming.”

“The congress gives us a great opportunity to meet the growers and the companies planting the varieties of the programs we represent, who are the ones benefiting year after year from the advantages of the genetics offered to the sector by Emco Cal.”

“We are expanding strongly in emerging berry-growing territories”
Emco Cal already has 40 years of experience in the introduction of berry varieties across the world and has managed to build up an extensive network of growers on all continents since 1982. “On a varietal level, after having been working mainly with strawberries, we have added other berries to our portfolio. We have very interesting blackberry, raspberry and blueberry varieties and we are working on their introduction and expansion in various territories. Many of these are emerging berry growers that are lacking varieties with the characteristics and advantages of those currently in development in our Spanish or American programs.”

“We are expanding strongly in markets such as Egypt, Latin America (Brazil, Mexico, Peru, Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica and Colombia), India, Asia, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia.”

“It should be mentioned that the Spanish strawberry sector has been developing since the 1980s, so we have many more years of experience than those who are still in the emerging stages, with our successful model of plant propagation in high altitude nurseries and fruiting in areas such as Huelva.”

“We have the know-how of where varieties can work and which markets can benefit from the characteristics of the different varieties we represent, and without a doubt, the Spanish model has served as a reference for us to be able to apply it and support other countries, adapting it to the particular conditions of each region.”

For more information:
Emco Cal
La Raya Business Park. C/Caucho, 1
PCTH 2000 Building. 21110 Aljaraque – Huelva. Spain
https://www.emcocal.com/
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