In recent weeks, the price of the late tomatoes planted in the Níjar area has been good. The spring cold fronts have not been strong in Almeria but have affected other production areas. This has boosted the price of the Raf tomato, an outstanding variety in Almeria. Raf tomato prices in the destination market have surpassed 10 euros per kilo, the highest level in the campaign.
At source, prices have also been profitable for farmers, who have been paid around seven euros per kilo. Prices have increased because there is a shortage of volume, due to limited production, and continuous demand from the domestic market. Raf tomato producers in Almeria are trying to prolong their harvests to take advantage of these favorable prices. However, temperatures are expected to increase towards the end of the week so the values will normalize.
According to a producer from Níjar, Raf tomato prices tend to experience a significant increase in this final stage of the campaign, especially when the weather conditions are adverse like this year and many farms already focus on melon and watermelon crops. Lower production and plant stress at this stage results in smaller-caliber tomatoes, but growers try to maintain quality over quantity.
This farmer said he was harvesting around 2,000 kilos of Raf tomatoes a week and highlighted the quality of his tomatoes, which have a high level of sweetness (measured in Brix degrees), despite the smaller size of the fruits. Temperatures have not yet risen and producers in the area hope to continue taking advantage of the situation with high-quality products on the market.
Source: diariodealmeria.es