As published in the latest 'Follow-up report: 2012/2013 campaign', elaborated by Andalusia's Council of Agriculture, Fisheries and Environment, all vegetables, except for tomatoes and beans, have seen an increase in their average prices during the current campaign. According to Almeria's Fruits and Vegetables Bulletin, courgettes and cucumbers have experienced price increases for the second consecutive season, while peppers, despite what it initially may seem, have barely grown by 6% in value compared to the 2011/2012 campaign.
In the case of tomatoes, they reached their best prices in the early stages of the campaign, when Moroccan competition was almost non-existent, and also by late February and early March, when cold temperatures took a toll on production volumes, while demand remained stable. In any case, the highest average price reached by this product was of 0.75 Euro per kilo, back in late September.
During the rest of the campaign, except for the first two weeks of March, the price for this product oscillated between 0.40 and 0.60 Euro per kilo. Eventually, in the middle of the campaign, Almeria's tomatoes reached an average price of 0.56 Euro per kilo, almost the same as last year, when they stood at 0.58 Euro per kilo.
The case of beans is a little more dramatic. They have lost value for the second consecutive season, going from 1.86 Euro on average during the 2010/2011 campaign, to 1.70 Euro last season and finally 1.62 Euro so far this year. Beans are currently a minority product and their price, season after season, is heavily influenced by Morocco's production, as the North African country has practically taken over this crop's sale in Europe.
The remaining products grown in the province have fared much better, managing to increase their average prices up until week 11 of 2013. The case of aubergines is particularly noteworthy, as their average price increased by 0.30 Euro per kilo, from 0.47 Euro last season to this year's 0.77 Euro per kilo
Aubergines and peppers
Long aubergines showed the greatest average price increase, reaching up to 0.79 Euro per kilo. This vegetable reached its highest prices in December, when it reached 1.47 Euro per kilo.
Long aubergines showed the greatest average price increase, reaching up to 0.79 Euro per kilo. This vegetable reached its highest prices in December, when it reached 1.47 Euro per kilo.
The case of peppers, however, is quite striking, as while certain batches reached and even surpassed the 3 Euro per kilo at certain points of the campaign, average prices during the period under analysis are barely 6% higher than last year. During the 2011/2012 campaign, the average price was of 0.67 Euro per kilo, while this year it stands at 0.71 Euro. This price, in any case, is lower than two years ago, when the average price of peppers stood at 0.79 Euro.
According to Andalusia's Administration, peppers stayed under 1 euro per kilo for practically five months, and only in mid-March did it overcome this barrier. The Italian types, with an average price of 0.88 Euro per kilo, and the red California, with 0.74 Euro, reached the best prices until mid-March.
Courgettes and cucumbers
Courgettes and cucumbers have been the big winners so far this campaign. Both have improved their average prices for two consecutive seasons, so it is not surprising that more and more producers are opting for them to ensure a good campaign.
In the case of courgettes, they closed the first half of the current campaign with an average price of 0.65 Euro per kilo, compared to the 0.56 Euro from a year ago and the 0.41 from two years ago. It was in mid-November when clearance prices for growers reached their highest levels, around 1.24 Euro per kilo.
Meanwhile, cucumbers reached an average price of 0.62 Euro per kilo in mid-March, far from the 0.46 Euro of the 2011/2012 campaign or the 0.45 of the previous year. The Almeria variety showed the best improvement, reaching an average price of 0.63 Euro per kilo during the first half of the campaign, almost 0.20 Euro more than a year earlier. Spanish cucumbers, for their part, stood at an average of 0.58 Euro, while the French reached 0.46 Euro per kilo.
Source: agroinformacion.com
