Hearts, chocolate, bouquets of flowers and pink decorations everywhere: Valentine’s week is synonymous with many things, but above all with crazy prices. What was not expected in half of Europe is that strawberries were going to rise so much.
And when I say ‘so much’, it’s ‘so much’.
What happened to the strawberries? The peak in demand is predictable: every year, coinciding with Valentine’s week, the demand for strawberries skyrockets. And, furthermore, it is a very inelastic demand: since it is a “special” day, people continue buying them “almost” independently of the Price.
That has not changed in 2026: what has changed is that the supply has suffered a huge shock.
A shock called Spain and Portugal: And more specifically its meteorology. If the frosts a few years ago caused a shortage of red peppers throughout the European continent, the historic rainfall in recent months has reduced strawberry production, its quality and shelf life to almost historic lows.
To give us an idea of the collapse: in Huelva, production has fallen by half compared to 2025. And despite efforts to catch up, production is 38% below that of the 24/25 campaign.
This has meant that strawberries are reaching 5.83 per kilo in the Netherlands and 6.44 in France.
The problem naked. In this case, the problem is that Europe depends completely on Huelva and, in recent decades, it has not been able to do anything to avoid it. Huelva producers have demonstrated an impressive capacity to produce with very high quality at very low prices.
That (and the constant rise in production) has meant that no one can build a parallel agribusiness. The problem is that the climate becomes increasingly volatile, the ‘security’ of the Andalusian countryside decreases. And this episode has only confirmed it.
What’s behind the story. So what is hidden behind the strawberries at seven euros per kilo in a market in Alicante is the story of the loss of hegemony of one of the most solid and refined economic pillars in southern Europe.
That is to say, while strawberries are on their way to becoming an ‘ultra-luxury’ product, Andalusia’s competitive advantage is fading. We are a giant with feet of clay.
Image | Alba Otero
In WorldOfSoftware | Spain’s problem with its supermarkets: Huelva strawberries are now cheaper in Germany
