"Autumn has long started, but here at least we don't notice anything of it yet.
It is still 27 degrees or more in southern Spain, and night temperatures remain at 20 degrees. This means that everything continues to grow vigorously," says Kees Havenaar of Frutas Luna from Almería.
"But that also means that not only the plants, but also the cast of unwanted enemies continues to grow. This winter, we are really going to have a lot of problems with the thrips Parvispinus. Growers are already at their wits' end! There are no solutions for this yet; these thrips stay on the leaves, and every pepper that touches the leaves gets damaged (see photo below). So every crop has its problems."
© Frutas Luna
But as long as the sun is shining, optimism remains at Frutas Luna. "So far, everything is looking good, and our growers have everything under control. The Palermo crop is running a little later; I expect the first ones to come in early November, and we expect to be in full harvest by mid-December. The pepper crop is now slowly starting; we are picking the first green ones and expect to be ready for programs in week 44/45."
© Frutas Luna
"The aubergines have been underway for a month now, the quality is good, they are not suffering much from the heat, and they have been achieving good prices for some time. The cucumbers have also been in production for a few weeks now, and several retailers are already partly supplied. The mini cucumbers are performing very well, with a good sales balance between some free market and a lot of programs. The first vine tomatoes are also appearing now, but not in good condition. The first bunches often hang on the ground and are very dirty. I personally think it will take another three weeks or so before we can go full steam ahead. At Frutas Luna, we have plenty of plans and ambition for this season," Kees concludes.
© Frutas Luna
For more information:
Kees Havenaar
Frutas Luna
Tel +34 950 178 653
[email protected]
www.frutasluna.com
