The harvest of the first greenhouse vegetables of the 2022/2023 season in Almeria is already underway, with high prices for all products due to the supply shortages of Spanish products and products from other European exporting countries. Heat waves have caused fruit-setting problems and delays in the harvests.
"All products, including cucumbers, bell peppers, zucchini, eggplant, and tomatoes, are reaching very good prices, although volumes are limited," says José Antonio Baños, president of Ejidomar.
"The heat waves in the month of July have caused poor fruit setting, and this has resulted in a delay of about fifteen days in the bell pepper harvest. It must also be taken into account that a little less early bell pepper was planted, and the drought and heat have also had an impact on the sizes, which are generally small, and caused a high amount of discards due to fruit deformations. All colors of first-class bell peppers cost more than one euro," said the representative of this company from Almeria.
The Netherlands is having difficulties due to the impact of the dry weather and heat. This has resulted in a low supply and historically high prices for cucumbers and eggplants, as well as good prices, although with greater ups and downs, for bell peppers and tomatoes.
"There are very few cucumbers on the market. The vast majority of Almeria producers didn't foresee that the Netherlands would have so few cucumbers available at this time when about 0.10-0.15 € per kilo is usually paid. The plantings were carried out in mid-August to harvest in late September, which is when the Dutch season usually ends. Now Dutch cucumber prices amount to almost 0.90 € per kilo," said José Antonio Baños.
The tomato acreage has been expanded by more than 15% this year after several years of free fall, to the detriment of zucchini and, anecdotally, also of bell peppers. However, the eggplant area will also be reduced by around 10%. "The number of hectares devoted to zucchini will fall in Nijar, where tomatoes will be planted again, thanks to the good prices paid last season, which were more than 30% higher than in the previous one.
For more information:
José Antonio Baños
EJIDOMAR
El Ejido, Almería
T: +34 950483511
presidente@ejidomar.es
www.ejidomar.es