Spanish garlic threatened Argentinian crops

There is enough garlic to provide for the market until the new campaign. A rise in garlic prices paid by consumers is detected, while there's a drop in prices at origin around the 50% regarding the previous year.

The garlic sector commission in the Agro-food Cooperatives in Castilla-La Mancha, analyzed productive predictions for the new campaign after a meeting yesterday in Las Pedroñeras (Cuenca). Production is presently in the initial phase of cultivation and analysis was made about the market registry regarding offer and demand, price levels in production and for consumers.

In Castilla-La Mancha there's going to be an average raise of 15%, mainly for the early variety, and to a lesser extent for the white variety, to the detriment of the purple garlic, that suffers of some setback or stagnation.

The commission members showed some concern for the adverse weather circumstances that are affecting the first stages of garlic cultivation, marked by drought and strong frosts, causing the plants to grow irregularly and registering losses on the early and white garlic, but it's still too early to evaluate damages that are still not clearly showing in the plantations.

Concern about imports from Argentinian

The sector commission also analyzed and evaluated information concerning the arrival in the Spanish ports of garlic coming from Argentina, arriving outside the dates for the last 3 months of the import license. This matter must be properly controlled by the authorities, because according to the sector ruling, if it's confirmed, these goods must be charged with the tariff of 1,200 €/t, for import taxt.

The commission evaluated the details of the recent commercial agreement between the EU and Morocco, approved by the European Parliament, which also affects garlic, it establishes an importing quota from Morocco to the EU of 1,500 tons with zero tariff, giving freedom to fluxes and taxes of this product between EU and Morocco.

Source: Cooperativas Agroalimentarias Castilla-La Mancha