The rainy weather of December and the snow of January took a great toll on the lettuce production in the Region of Murcia, and this, as growers had warned, is causing difficulties to fulfill the commitments with customers in Europe and in the British market, where nine out of ten lettuces are imported from Spain.
However, after seeing images in which some British supermarkets were rationing these lettuces, 'The Sun' newspaper accused Spain and some producing areas, like Murcia, of causing that shortage of vegetables in the United Kingdom.
The experts cited by the newspaper link the shortage with "the drought and the cold wave in Murcia," although what may seem a logical explanation, in the hands of 'The Sun', soon becomes a heap of insinuations loaded with xenophobia.
Empty boxes, lack of supply, disproportionate prices, restrictions and rationing of some products, chaos, panic... The sensationalist report of 'The Sun' even compares the shelves of British supermarkets with the abundance they show in images of a supermarket in Molina de Segura.
The accusatory tone gets harsher, and after comparing both situations, the tabloid eventually accuses the Spanish of "secretly storing" the products they lack in the United Kingdom.
"Spanish supermarkets hoard fruit and veg while Brit shoppers are being rationed," said the paper, which illustrates the news with images of empty shelves at Sainsbury supermarkets. A panic that the newspaper says has led to the appearance of a "black market" in which you can buy a box of lettuce "for 50 pounds." "No way Jose!" proclaims the newspaper.
These tabloid articles have received feedback from many readers accusing the newspaper of xenophobia and of manipulating the information about the storms that have affected areas like Murcia, one of the main exporters of vegetables to the British Isles.
"We have received no complaints"
The news has been received with surprise by producers of the Region of Murcia, especially of Lorca and the Guadalentín Valley, which produce most of the lettuce that is supplied to the United Kingdom.
With production actually reduced, due to the impact of floods in December and snowfall in January, Hoyamar manager Domingo Llamas acknowledges that they are having difficulties with all crops. For this Lorca-based cooperative, the British market represents 60% of its sales; almost 20 million Euro per year.
Alimer, one of the main agricultural cooperatives in south east Spain, reports that there is no record of any complaints from its buyers and president Julián Díaz explains that in other countries, like Italy, which also supply this market, many have lost their entire production because of the cold snap. In normal circumstances, 20% of Alimer's exports go to the UK.
In any case, they believe that these circumstances do not affect the prices received by Spanish producers, who lament, on the other hand, that Spanish lettuces are sold in some supermarkets in that country for prices up to three times cheaper than those imported from the United States. "We can barely cover the costs," says Domingo Llamas.
Source: cadenaser.com
