This year, the unusual frosts in the Vega Baja have ruined crops in the Guadalentin valley. This, however, was not the case for artichoke, as its price has increased by 150% since last November when the season began. “There were abnormally high temperatures in November and December. The crops yielded very few kilos and prices were low,” stated the president of Asaja Alicante, Jose Vicente Andreu. Prices have gone from 50 cents per kilo at the beginning of the campaign to 2 euro per kilo in recent weeks.
However, this is just momentary, Andreu stated. “Spring is coming and the campaign in the Vega Baja will soon come to an end. Starting April we'll begin to harvest in Albacete and Granada.”
“I don't think overall revenues will be great at the end of the season,” stated the provincial president of Asaja, recalling that costs are still skyrocketing. “It's true that artichoke is fashionable, but we are very concerned about the general decline in vegetable consumption due to inflation. And not only in Spain! Shipments to Germany, for example, have fallen by 20%,” he said.
“In the first three weeks, some producers harvested everything and now that artichoke prices are good, they don't have any supply”
Fortunately, the current prices will be able to compensate, in part, the low prices of the previous months. “I started harvesting the product in November and prices stood at 60 or 70 cents. They covered virtually no expenses until after Christmas,” stated Jose Angel Muñoz. "I've been one of the lucky ones," he admitted. “In the first three weeks, some producers harvested everything and now that artichoke prices are good, they don't have any supply,” he said.
"Price will now start to fall, but I hope they remain good until May,” he added.
Source: laverdad.es