In the 25/26 season, Spain expects a lower Spring garlic production due to the impact of the spring rains. Similarly, the Morado garlic production will also fall due to the sweltering heat recorded since mid-May.
"Due to the spring rains, I think our Spring garlic production per hectare will fall by around 20%. The Morado garlic crops have suffered from the extreme heat since the middle of May, and production has been greatly reduced. The quality is very good, but there is a lot less. In short, we will have fewer kilos of Spring and Morado garlic because of the weather," says Andrés García, manager of Antogar.
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Spring garlic vs. Morado garlic
Spain is a leading garlic producer, but this market is slowly transforming. García says: "Two types of garlic are grown here: Spring and Morado. The Spring is an earlier variety and comes originally from China, while the Morado is an indigenous variety. However, I think there is already more Spring than Morado in the fields."
One of the reasons for this change, according to García, is "the much higher yield per hectare of the Spring. However, the Morado is tastier and has that special oil that gives it a characteristic flavor, and it has a much better shelf life. Morado garlic stands out for its great flavor and shelf life. It can be kept for 60 days out of the storage chamber without any problems and without germinating. But the markets are only interested in the price, and growers have had to plant what the market demands. This extra flavor and shelf life have a cost that the market is not willing to pay."
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"There is a lack of quality seeds"
According to the manager, the challenges for garlic cultivation in Spain are many and difficult to tackle. "The Euro is a very strong currency, and that's damaging exports and benefiting imports. There is also a lack of quality seeds. Globally, garlic is not a very representative crop, which is why big seed companies don't show a lot of interest. This lack of research leads to seeds that are susceptible to diseases and low yields. To make matters worse, we cannot use phytosanitary treatments. It's hard to believe that the public administration is not investing in R&D in this area, and private companies are also not showing much interest. Labor is scarce and not very productive, not to mention the huge administrative burdens," says the manager.
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In garlic cultivation, "land rotation is necessary every five years, and even so, there is still exhaustion, which results in an abundance of pathogens in the soil. Another problem is that irrigation extensions are limited and will become more and more so. I see a major structural challenge in the lack of rotation and irrigation for garlic production," he says.
According to García, "all garlic is harvested in one go. Everything has to be done in 45 days, and most of the process is carried out manually because garlic is a very sensitive product that needs to be handled with care. Because of the costs, I believe that the industrialization of garlic is the way forward. We will have to move towards a peeled product for everyone."
This company from the Spanish region of Castile-La Mancha is devoted to the production and marketing of Spring and Morado garlic on 350 hectares and exports 4 million kilos to the European Union and the rest of the world.
For more information:
Andrés García
Antogar
Tel.: +34 670 99 05 18
[email protected]
www.antogar.com
