Almeria has been having very cold nights for the last two weeks and this is causing a significant shortage in agricultural supply. Production volumes of courgettes, cucumbers and peppers have fallen sharply, around 25% compared to just three weeks ago.
These shortages are making it hard for growers to meet the agreements made with supermarket chains. There is a great lack of California Red peppers, for example, and many buyers have been forced to limit their purchases.
One of the most affected chains is Tesco, whose Global Food Sourcing category management decided not to set a fixed price for courgettes, but to establish them following the market, and they now see how this product is reaching prices of over a Euro. These cold temperatures will have consequences in the medium term for peppers, as the next batch will take over 90 days to give fruit, which will surely lead to further supply shortages. Professionals believe that, unless weather conditions change, the shortages will continue until February next year.
Source: fyh.es