Unfavourable weather conditions in Spain are preventing the recovery of cauliflower and broccoli production volumes, as well as the overcoming of quality problems.
Between October and November it was very wet and temperatures dropped drastically. "Rains caused a lot of product spoilage, especially in Murcia, and increased the degree of moisture, leading to quality problems," explains a local grower. Moreover, the sudden drops in temperature are causing brassica plants to stop producing during a week or two, which entails a great lack of supply in the short and medium term.
As a consequence of the lower production and with great demand due to Christmas being around the corner, cauliflower and broccoli prices are reaching extremely high levels. "In all my years in the business, I had never seen such prices," explains a Dutch importer, who affirms that in the Netherlands, for example, some important supermarket chains have temporarily removed them from their shelves. "Normally this price is beyond affordable for consumers," he states.
