In recent weeks, the supply of cherry tomatoes has significantly increased in Europe. While Spain's campaign is in full swing, the continent's productions under artificial light, led by the Netherlands, are also reaching high levels.
"Historically, there is usually a drop in the demand for cherry tomatoes, and generally for all foods, after Christmas, and somehow this year is proving to be a bit more challenging because the peak in the Spanish production is overlapping with a high production period in the Netherlands, which has also expanded its acreage devoted to artificial light cultivation from 150 hectares last year to 500," says agricultural engineer David Vicario, commercial director of Cualin Quality.
"Fortunately, that is not our case at Cualin Quality. We specialize in cherry tomatoes on the vine and have high-tech, heated greenhouses that allow us to face the winter campaign on a much stronger footing, with a production without peaks that allows us to better regulate the supply and demand and offer a longer shelf life. Moreover, starting this campaign, we have the highest quality varieties, 100% resistant to the rugose virus. All of this helps us tackle the winter campaign with great confidence."
"The weather conditions in Almeria, the temperatures, and the amount of hours of sunlight are ideal for the production of tomatoes with the right color and the best organoleptic characteristics. In fact, these conditions are the reason why this area is now home to the best Spanish tomato producers," says David.
When could this trend be reversed?
Given the high supply from different origins, prices have fallen into a clear downward trend.
"The situation is expected to continue like this for a while, at least until a balance is recovered. The weather we are experiencing, with almost spring-like temperatures and a great amount of sunlight, is accelerating the ripening and growth of the tomatoes and bringing the production peaks of the later plantations forward. And in the end, we are all subject to the law of supply and demand."
"I believe that until we get colder and more winter-like weather, at least here in Spain, the situation will remain difficult for the production and prices, which will likely not go back to normal until the first or second week of February."
For more information:
Cualin Quality
Los Llanos de Mojana s/n
(04628) Antas, AlmerÃa, Spain
Tel.: +34 950 398 710
info@cualinquality.com
https://cualinquality.com