Spain: Murcia artichoke season off to a start

The Spanish artichoke season, running from October till March, is underway, despite there not being any substantial produce. The Murcia artichoke is waiting for colder temperatures, and as a winter fruit is competing with other Spanish regions like Navarra, Tudela, Tarragona and Valencia, where temperatures drop earlier.

According to sources within MercaGrisa, an intermediary in the Cartagena region, the first artichoke was auctioned off this week with a price of 1,50 Euro per kg. Later that day, prices dropped to 1.40 and even to 1.15. “Right now the price is somewhere between 1 Euro and 1 Euro 50. And that’s in spite of the slow beginnings.”

The variety that MercaGrisa represents is the white artichoke, a species replacing the less popular purple one. The company mostly sells to the processing industry. The Spanish artichoke isn’t in demand in most other countries outside of France, possibly because of its relative obscurity.

For more information:
Para más información:
MERCAGRISA S.A.
Ctra. Sucina-Paraje los Arocas
San Javier 30730 MURCIA (ESPAÑA)
Tel. 968 334 141 / 968 33
[email protected]
www.mercagrisa.com