The low temperatures and high winds in recent days in the region of Los Reyes have caused blackberry losses of between 30% and 50%, reported some producers and some representatives of companies that sell this berry.

The cold has not damaged the fruit at freezing level, but it has affected its development and maturity, as it develops later. The wind, however, has harmed the fruit, causing the thorns to damage, therefore the companies discard it.

This has decreased the production volume but hasn't increased the blackberry's price, as a 2.2 kilogram box is still going for between 50 and 70 pesos; the price it reached 15 days ago when there was a spike in the volume of production that led to a decrease in prices.

When the non-governmental representative of the Blackberry Product System (SPZ) of the Rural Development District 088, Gustavo Calleros Coloni, was asked why the price hadn't increased after the production volume decreased, he responded: "That's how it usually happens; the marketers are very quick to lower the price when there is an overproduction or the fruit is poor. However, when the situation is reversed, they always take their time to raise the price of the fruit."

Source - http://www.freshplaza.com/