"Forecast: "Fewer Spanish peppers in spring due to cold nights in January"

Currently, two major countries are busy supplying Europe with peppers: Spain and Israel. Pepper cultivation however, is not always easy and both Israel and Spain have had to contend with some hefty setbacks.

Spain

When we speak of pepper cultivation in Spain, we’re really talking about the Almeria region. The total acreage there is around the 40,000 ha. In much of the region the water is too salty for propagation. Cultivation therefore concentrates on the west of this horticultural area. The 6,000 ha expanse is itself made up of several regions, each with its own microclimate, influenced by the mountains and the sea. Some growers begin their cultivation in June, while others have to wait until late August when the worst heat is over.

Packing station in Israel

The second half of 2012 turned out to be a less profitable period than the year before. In the first half of November the weather was quite poor in the region, creating a gap in planting. In late November and the first half of December the weather was decent. The month of January had some cold nights, allowing Botrytis to play a bigger role than normal. Because of all of the above factors there will likely be will be fewer Spanish peppers in the coming spring.

Israel

In Israel, peppers are grown in an accumulative area of approximately 3,000 hectares. As well as in Spain, red is the most important crop colour (approx. 75%). Although peppers are almost continuously harvested, the export season to Europe (65%) and Eastern Europe (25%) is largely restricted to the period from late November to mid-March. This makes some countries, like Holland, unviable as these can rely on their own crops in this time of year. Timing, then, is important. During the export period, Israel is the main competitor of Spain when it comes to the European market. So far, Israel has not always been able to cope with that position. Labour is a scarce commodity, pushing up the costs. In addition, the Israelis face higher transport costs. The growth of the region is under pressure. Labour saving and increasing the production per m² therefore become an important objective. The production is usually around 8kg/m².

Source: www.enzazaden.com