The Spanish garlic area remains stable, but productivity falls

The 2025 Spanish garlic season concluded with a cultivated area that was virtually the same as in 2024. This overall stability, however, masks a new decline in purple garlic cultivation, whose area decreased by 8% over the previous season, consolidating a worrying downward trend compared to other varieties.

This season, total production declined by approximately 15% compared to 2024. This decline is not due to a significant reduction in area, but to a decrease in bulb size, a direct consequence of adverse weather factors. The lack of daylight during a particularly rainy March, combined with abnormally low temperatures until mid-May, affected the growth of the crop throughout the country.

In the specific case of purple garlic, size losses are linked to the sharp rise in temperatures starting in mid-June, which accelerated the end of the cycle in the main production areas, such as Castile-La Mancha. This circumstance prevented the plants from reaching their maximum development potential, although a remarkable final quality was achieved, particularly in terms of appearance, health, and bulb shelf life.

According to producers, the quality of Spanish garlic this season is undeniable, despite the challenges. However, crop management conditions continue to deteriorate year after year, and the availability of effective plant protection active ingredients is increasingly scarce. This limitation leaves farmers practically defenseless against pests and diseases, aggravating the risk with each passing season.

In addition, there are other structural problems that affect the sustainability of the crop, such as the continued increase in labor and input costs, increasingly frequent and organized thefts in the field, and the reduced availability of arable land.

While current market prices are relatively good, the sector warns that "even high prices cannot compensate for declining yields and constantly rising costs." Far from expecting an increase in acreage by 2026, forecasts indicate a further reduction in planted hectares if measures are not adopted to restore the viability of the crop.

Spanish garlic, a benchmark in Europe for its quality and traceability, faces an uncertain future if governments and markets do not provide real tools to ease the pressure on producers. "European consumers must value the effort made by farmers to maintain a product with the Spanish label," stated Juan Salvador Peregrin, ANPCA's president.