Prices were rather high at the start of the European garlic campaign, especially for Spanish produce. Volumes are similar to last year, "but in 2015 there was a lot of Chinese garlic available, while there is much less this year, so prices have remained high."
But prices are high also "because a lot of people are buying and stocking it so as to avoid having to buy Argentinian counter-seasonal imports in March. They are in fact more expensive because they are transported by sea and can develop clove problems, making processing up to 50% more expensive."
Prices are high in Italy too, as "local produce is always more expensive than the Spanish and volumes are lower. Last year, prices were as much as 30% lower than this year."