The blueberry season has finished in Huelva, but this does not mean Spain can no longer enjoy this antioxidant fruit, as now it is the turn for Cantabria’s blueberry campaign to begin, which will last until October.
With a little over two production hectares in the town of Penagos, in the Spanish province of Cantabria, the young firm Landaberry Fruits S.L. obtained its first blueberry harvest of the Aurora and Ochlockonee late varieties in 2012; varieties characterised by their large and uniform fruit, slightly acid, with a good presence and good preservation in chambers.
For the 2013 campaign they expect a production of 5 tonnes, although responding to the product’s demand, they have plans to continue growing. “For now we do not have large volumes given the difficulties that blueberries still face in the Spanish market if we compare it with other countries in northern Europe, such as the UK or Germany,” explains Aimar Gaminde, Manager of Landaberry Fruits S.L.
“We must first establish a market in Spain, where interest for blueberries is progressively growing. This way, if everything goes as planned, our next step in the medium term would be to reach a yield of 10 tonnes per hectare with new varieties of the 15 different ones we have in our experimental plantation.”
The fertile soil and the humid and mild weather in Cantabria provide blueberries with superior qualities. The region has additionally not registered any large pest outbreaks. “This is our advantage: to be able to produce blueberries until October which do not need to be treated with chemicals against pests thanks to the qualities of our weather and soil.”
For now, Landaberry Fruits sells its blueberries packed in unbranded trays and boxes to the distributors. “Next year we want to continue growing, as we believe in the potential of blueberries in Spain. Therefore, I believe that an association of producers in Cantabria would be very positive for everyone, as it would allow us to be more competitive, create a brand and export to European clients,” he concludes.
Landaberry Fruits
