Almeria's vegetable campaign has already started with very small volumes, but with substantially higher prices. The main reason for this is the lower yield due to the extreme temperatures registered this summer, which have also severely affected the quality.
To this production decline at the start of Almeria's campaign we must add the fact that the Netherlands also currently has lower volumes than usual due to problems with the flowering and fruit setting 6 weeks ago. Heavy rains in recent days have hampered the harvesting duties for the Dutch, who expect the same situation next week, so prices should remain at a good level.
"The campaign has started with a lower production and poor quality, especially for early peppers and tomatoes, as a result of high temperatures during the fruit setting in July," explained a producer and exporter of El Ejido in an interview to FreshPlaza. "Courgettes and cucumbers face fewer problems, because they grow quicker than tomatoes and peppers," he added.
"Additionally, this week's floods will further reduce the volumes of early peppers, since Adra, which is the most affected area, accounts for a considerable share of the production. Both volumes and quality will not begin to improve until mid-October," he says.
This was confirmed by a Dutch importer, who claims that "while the quality is not yet acceptable, some companies are already taking advantage of the high prices paid at the moment. The skin of the peppers is too thin and aubergines have too many seeds."
"Nobody expected such high prices, although demand for cherry tomatoes in the Netherlands is very high, and there is no supply," he says.
The auction price of red bell peppers stands at an average of € 1.70 per kilo, while the green ones reach € 1.00 per kilo and the yellow cost € 1.17 per kilo.
Long aubergines stand at € 1.25 per kilo and thin courgettes reach 1.00 € / kilo. Almeria cucumbers cost an average of € 0.80 per kilo.
As for tomatoes, € 1.30 per kilo are paid for those on the vine, pear tomatoes cost € 1.10 per kilo, and the Daniela doesn't fall below € 1.00 per kilo.
For this campaign, a total of around 9,400 hectares of peppers were expected, with bell peppers being the most common and the Palermo expanding the most.
When it comes to tomatoes, some 11,000 hectares are estimated to be planted, which is a similar figure to last year's.