Farmers in Lorca, Spain have just finished a rather bitter-sweet year, especially concerning broccoli sales. In the last quarter sales have gone down compared to other years and even though there is n't a single cause, it seems to be proven that one reason lies in the strong competition by the Italian market; where farmers have produced a lot of broccoli and are offering to European supermarkets at cheaper prices.
Another reason is the decline in consumption that has occurred in countries where Lorca cooperatives export their production. A backward step motivated by the crisis and savings that families have imposed on themselves. To this we must add the high temperatures in the Valley GuadalentÃn and that are making it difficult for production to regulate itself.
The socialist municipal group's spokesman, Manuel Soler, has responded to this situation. "From the beginning of the season, prices have been disastrous, with prices between 0.15 and 0.30 Euro a kilo currently. The price farmers receive is around 0.20 Euro per kilo, with a production cost of 0.39 Euro a kilo, accumulating losses between 0.15 and 0.20 Euro per kilo. "Something similar happened with lettuce but seems to have recovered." What we could market have been producer prices between 0.10 and 0.12 Euro per kilo, and with a cost of 0.18 Euro per piece; it is true that recently markets have reacted to the rise, reaching around 0.21 Euro a piece."
Regarding the artichoke, Soler says, the current prices for farmers are around 0.50 Euro per kilo, with a production cost of 0.38 Euro per kilo.
Source: Laverdad