Spanish veg production falls by 30%
The main reason for this fall is the cold wave that occurred during the beginning of this year. The drought in September and October 2016 and heavy rains in December last year are additional reasons.
Sector sources expect markets to recover within a few weeks.
According to data from the Ministry of Agriculture and the sectorial organization Fepex, outdoor and greenhouses produce have been affected. In outdoor production, losses have been concentrated in crops such as lettuce, broccoli, celery, cabbage, artichoke and endive. New plantations will be necessary in many cases.
In the greenhouses, the cold has not frozen the plants so, as soon as the temperature recovers, crops can be recovered as well without new plantations. At the moment, the most affected crops are cucumber, zucchini, tomato and pepper.
The supply shortage has provoked record prices at the-farm-gate for these dates. For example, 3.5€/kg are paid for zucchini (+200%), 3.1€/kg for eggplant (+178%), 1.3 €/kg for tomatoes (+50%) and 1.2 €/kg for peppers (+50%).
These increases in prices at the-farm-gate are also affecting processing companies of the ready-to-eat salads. Florette sources estimate that their prices have risen more than 100%.
Source: El País / ABC / Agroberichten Buitenland