The 2019-2020 season in Almería is already underway, which means it is several weeks ahead of its usual dates. However, this might be quite important, as the horticultural sector is facing financial trouble and needs to generate revenues as soon as possible.
Although the first produce will not go on sale until the beginning of October, the aim of bringing the harvest forward by some weeks is to start generating revenue as soon as possible. Manager Luis M. Fernández of Coexphal - the fruit and vegetable organization from Almería - pointed out that the previous season ended with a new drop in farmers’ profitability. “With a profit account below minimum levels, it is necessary to invest again in the new season because the farmer needs to generate income as soon as possible, in order not to continue increasing his current level of indebtedness”.
Pepper plantings were advanced
In some cases, planting was advanced to the beginning of July, even to the end of June, as was the case of California peppers. At the end of August, practically all the peppers to be grown in Almería this season had been sown. The seed companies and the farmers recognize that peppers will be the leading produce of the season, beginning, “with an increase in production area of 8-10%”.
Once again, the tomato will be the product with the smallest growth, especially loose tomatoes and cherry tomatoes, with a crop reduction of around 10%.
This decrease, in the case of loose tomatoes, is produced because of the increasing Moroccan competition and prices have suffered in the last two to three years; in the case of cherry tomato, because labor costs are significantly higher than those of other varieties are.