Although some greenhouses in Almeria are still active, it is already possible to make a clear balance of the winter vegetable campaign, which in the words of Virginia Artero, commercial director of Nationwide Spain, "has gone better than we expected at the beginning."
"We could have expected the worst-case scenario, given all the product restrictions, the increase in prices at customs, the higher transport costs, the loss of crops, and some incredibly high prices; in fact, in no other season had we seen such high prices for products. In this context, we thought that exports were going to be reduced; and that has been the case in terms of volume, both for Nationwide and for other companies in Almeria, although we have all invoiced more."
The fact is that the volume of vegetables available has been lower throughout virtually the entire campaign, not only in Spain but "also in Morocco, which is what has caused prices to skyrocket. These lower volumes have also resulted in less work being available in packing plants and warehouses," says Virginia.
"It has been a very turbulent campaign that has forced the whole sector in Almeria to stay strong, with a great cost for producers, traders, and exporters. In the middle of the campaign, producers had to deal with more expenses and an unforeseen rise in the costs of diesel, energy, plastics, or cardboard. This sparked a lot of stress and uncertainty ahead of next year."
"The situation has also been tough for us, and now that we are negotiating next year's contracts, we see that there are customers and chains that are reluctant to close them. This year, there have been companies embarking on major supply projects which have then found the auctions empty." And although production problems have been closely and inevitably linked to the weather conditions, "not knowing if we were going to have supply in winter when Almeria is supposed to be in its strongest position, has resulted in stress and high personal costs," says Virginia.
"Today, no country can match the service and quality we offer in Almeria, but do the chains and end customers see that?"
This year, chains have found themselves "without a plan B," in a season in which the lights went out in heated greenhouses in Europe because electricity costs made production unaffordable (in some cases, the energy contracted in advance was sold in order to monetize the inflationary period in the energy market). "In fact, this year, many chains have been seeking other supplier countries in order to have a backup for the future."
"Given this year's experience, we should open our minds to the fact that there are more exporting countries, that Almeria is not alone, and that we must be more consistent and pay more attention to detail when planting and harvesting. If there comes a time when the chains switch to other origins, such as Algeria or Turkey, for their supply, we could even deal with oversupply issues," says Virginia. "Today, no country can match the service and quality we offer in Almeria, but do the chains and end customers see that?"
The reality is that prices are also taken into account, says the commercial director of Nationwide Spain. "We should all stand together, but that's difficult in a world where we continue to hold auctions. Our province could have a more stable production if we had more stable prices, but while the auctions do a great job, sometimes, by bidding high, the losses are also high. You have to think that if a chain stops being supplied because an auction has become costlier, that chain could turn to a country that guarantees stable prices."
"I think that we should be aware that the future of agriculture in Almeria should be more cooperative-oriented. Now, with the problem affecting the strawberries from Huelva, we have come across some misleading advertising regarding the qualities and the management of agriculture in Spain, and standing together is the only solution to continue defending a work philosophy that no other country can match. We must argue that Almeria is not just the orchard of Europe; it is the best orchard that Europe can have."
For more information:
Nationwide España S.L.
POL. IND. La Redonda, Calle IV, 40
04710 Santa María Del Águila, El Ejido
Almería, Spain
Tel.: +34 950 483026
www.nationwide-espana.com