In the Spanish region of Murcia, one industry experiencing the most growth in export sales is pepper cultivation; last year there was an overall production of 165,000 tons. The main varieties grown in Murcia are California, Lamuyo and Italian peppers. These majority of these quality products from the Campo de Cartagena (68 per cent) is exported around Europe, principally to Germany, France, the UK and Italy.
During 2020 export volume rose by 3.35 per cent to 112,000 tons, providing revenue of €155 million (8.3 per cent higher than in 2019), with other important markets including the Netherlands, Switzerland and Portugal.
Despite the sometimes troublesome Murcia climate, in which water is almost permanently in short supply, the expectation is that further growth will be achieved in both production and export sales in 2021. In addition, it is hoped that permission will be received for peppers grown in Murcia to be exported to the United States, providing a further potential boost to the sector.
Source: spanishnewstoday.com
