The coronavirus pandemic had barely any impact on strawberry exports from Huelva in March, when the lockdown started, as international shipments only fell by 3% compared to the same month of 2019; however, sales in April were more notably affected by the health crisis. This is also the month when Huelva's strawberry sector traditionally reaches its peak in terms of production volume and, therefore, of sales. In April, Huelva's strawberry sector exported 14.5% less strawberries than in the same period of the previous season, going from 92,208 tons in 2019 to 79,014 tons in 2020. This collapse of exports has also been reflected in the financial results. According to data provided by Freshuelva to agrodiariohuelva.es, the strawberry sector's revenue in April has been 18.6% lower than in the same period last year, reaching 132 million Euro, compared to 162.2 million in 2019. Although the final results of the 2019/2020 campaign have yet to be reported, it is worth noting that the volume of strawberries exported during the first four months of 2020 has only decreased by 3.45% compared to the same period in 2019, going from 214,540 tons to 207,148 tons. The increase in the export volume during the months of January and February 2020 compared to the previous year (by 10.4% and 20.15%, respectively) has partially offset the fall in March (-3%) and April (-14.5%). The drop in the number of tons shipped abroad during the COVID-19 crisis has led to a 6.50% reduction in the value of sales in the first four months of the year, with a total of 422 million Euro, compared to the 451 recorded during the same period of 2019. Raspberries When it comes to raspberries, the export level registered in April has been very similar to last year's, with 7,477 tons recorded in 2020 and 7,504 in 2019 (-0.3%). If we look at the first four-month period, a more significant variation is reported, with a total of 26,364 tons this year, compared to 34,478 tons in 2019. Regarding the value of the raspberries exported during the month of April, it is worth noting that there has been an 11.36% reduction compared to the same period last year. In 2019, the revenue amounted to 56 million Euro, while that in April 2020 did not exceed 50 million (49.9). In the first four months of 2020, there has also been a 4.29% drop in the value of exports, with a total of 198 million Euro, compared to 207 million in 2019. Source: agrodiariohuelva.es
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