After a longer pepper season than usual due to Almeria's warm spring conditions and low rainfall, the end of the campaign approaches and both volumes and prices for all varieties are gradually dropping.
Purchasers who were stocking up in Almeria up to this point are moving to other sources where the campaign is currently about to start and which offer quality produce at competitive prices, such as the Netherlands and Belgium, and in Spain's case, Murcia, where supply levels are gradually increasing since the export season started three weeks ago.
Unlike last year, this season Murcia has chosen to plant more bell peppers, which have grown by between 20 and 30% at the expense of Lamuyo peppers.
In the 2013 season, Murcia observed a significant increase in demand for this product in Eastern Europe, where bell peppers are traditionally consumed. Additionally, it is a thicker-walled pepper, which makes it more suitable for long distance shipments.
This increase in demand from eastern European markets already caused bell peppers to reach between 40 and 50% higher prices than in 2012. Yellow bell peppers stood above the 2.40/2.50 Euro per kilo, making it the most demanded and valued pepper variety.
At the moment, red and yellow bell peppers reach between 0.70 and 0.80 Euro per kilo, while the green ones stand at about 0.60 Euro per kilo, according to the auctioneer Mercagrisa.
Red Lamuyo peppers reach around 0.70 Euro, while the green Lamuyo stand at 0.60 Euro per kilo. The main markets for this pepper variety are Spain, Italy and France.
"The campaign is only just starting in Murcia and we have great expectations, but last year's campaign will be hard to beat in terms of prices, pace of sales and quality. Last year's was one of the best campaigns I remember after twenty years in the sector," said a producer and exporter from Murcia.