Almeria's greenhouse campaign is in its final stretch. Producers are marketing their last production volumes, and the quality, after several intense months of challenging growing conditions, is not very good, which translates to the prices.
"We at Agroejido are at the lowest point of production, just in the transition from greenhouse cultivation to outdoor cultivation or production under shade nets in the mountain areas," stated the company's manager, Francisco Gomez. "In addition, the production of other Spanish provinces is starting to enter the market, and prices are falling because the markets are now supplied with the most local product. As a result, despite its low supply, the prices in Almeria are now in line with the prices prevailing on the market."
Crops under shade mesh.
In Agroejido's latest sales, the average price of cucumber stood between 38 cents per kilo for the Spanish type and 27 cents for the French cucumber; Class I zucchini only yielded an average of € 0.24 per kilo, and class II zucchini € 0.16 per kilo, pear tomatoes remained at € 0.42, and Palermo peppers at € 0.59 per kilo.
"The only product that is spared from low prices is aubergine," says Francisco. At Agroejido's last auction, they were sold at € 1.25 per kilo, tripling the average price of pear tomatoes and quintupling that of zucchini.
New open-field plantations.
"Every year, we manage to start the export campaign a little earlier than before." Almeria's melon greenhouse campaign is also coming to an end. At the Agroejido auction, the last batches of yellow melon registered values of only € 0.13 per kilo. "The melon and watermelon greenhouse campaign usually ends in mid-June, so the product that we have is out of season. At the moment, customers are shifting their attention to outdoor cultivation, but the product will be scarce because of the drought, bad weather conditions, and decrease in acreage."
Open field crops.
"At Agroejido, we are now moving to the mountain areas in the province of Granada, where we'll continue to harvest vegetables on a smaller scale for the domestic market, but we'll start the greenhouse season again in a month and a half. Every year we manage to start it earlier, and I expect that we'll already have important volumes by mid-August, so we'll be able to start exporting," Francisco Gomez stated.
For more information:
Agroejido
C/ La Parra S/N
El Ejido, Almería (España)
Tel.: +34 950 48 91 05
info@agroejido.com
www.agroejido.com