Spain: New artichoke varieties, more resistant than Tudela's

The various diseases that the plants can suffer, as well as the shelf life in stores and supermarkets, have been affecting the trends as far as artichoke varieties are concerned.

Consequently, the white artichoke of Tudela "is a variety that we practically don't have at Frutas y Verduras Joanru," comments Alejandro Ruiz, head of exports for the company. "As producers and marketers of artichokes, we have opted for the planting of varieties such as the Symphony, Calico, Sambo and Violeta," states Ruiz.

"The artichoke production remains stable," affirms Ruiz. For several consecutive years, they have had a production of between 800,000 and 1,000,000 kilos, out of which 100% is exported, since their varieties are not very popular in Spain. The main destinations for this product are France (the most important one), Germany, England and Sweden; however, the French market only demands it when they don't have local produce available, since France is also a major producer.

As for prices, "at first they rose because of the bad temperatures and product shortages; then they remained at around 2 to 3 Euro, and now they are falling to between 1 and 1.20 Euros, as there is more competition from other countries," comments Ruiz. A possible solution that producers are already implementing, according to Ruiz, is to advance the start of the season of the Calico and Sambo to try staying longer in the French market, before they start with their own production.