From early December to mid-March, one of the most appreciated delicacies, famous for its exorbitant prices, is harvested in the fields of Cuenca: the black truffle. The harvesting in mycorrhizal plantations, on the other hand, kicks off in mid-November. However, the decline in the activity of many hotel and catering establishments as a result of the pandemic has caused their value to fall exponentially this season.
"Last year, a kilo cost over 750 Euro, and this year prices reach 350 Euro at most," says José María Martínez, of Viveros Vitruf, to Las Noticias de Cuenca. "It is still early to make assessments, but this decline in prices is going to turn into incredible losses," he says.
For Ismael Sanz, truffle grower and manager of the company Conctruf, the situation is "worrying". He reports that "prices have fallen to 200 Euro per kilo, compared to the 800 Euro that were paid in the previous season," he says.
In their case, a part of their production is intended for consumption in sectors such as hotels and restaurants, although "this year they are buying only what they need for consumption. However, Sanz says that 90% of the truffles harvested will be used for the production of preserves and cheese, since they are more affordable products for daily consumption and an ideal solution to avoid the waste of black truffles.
After the heavy snowfalls caused by storm Filomena, they expect prices to increase in the coming weeks. "We won't be able to take stock of the campaign until mid-March, but for now, it looks like it will be one of the worst ones and with the lowest prices in recent years.”
Source: eldiario.es
