The first analyses of the horticultural campaign in Almeria point to the fact that, so far, there has been a halt in the expansion of the tomato and bell pepper acreage, which may be reduced by about 4%, according to data recently shared by Asaja Almeria.
"Last year, the so-called 'new thrips,' which isn't actually that new, hit bell peppers very hard. Thrips parvispinus did a lot of damage to the plantations, resulting in a lot of non-marketable production, so surely, there will be growers who have suffered it this year and who will have switched to other crops out of fear," said José Miguel, of Hortamar.
"As for tomatoes, we must remember that there are many labor issues. Laborers are expensive, and there's also a great scarcity of them. Unlike other crops, tomatoes require a team working on them permanently. With cucumbers, for example, once the plants are staked, all that's left is to gradually harvest the fruits, which also weigh between 400 and 500 grams -as opposed to tomatoes, which can weigh around 100 g- which makes the harvesting process faster and more agile. Meanwhile, tomatoes require weekly pruning to ensure proper growth of the fruits."
"Moreover, there is also the problem of the rugose virus. Fortunately, we did not have any case in our cooperative last year, although we are producing fewer and fewer tomatoes; but it is true that others in the Poniente and, above all, in the Levante were affected. The virus is transmitted very easily, just through contact, so as soon as any affected plant appears, it is very likely to infect the entire plantation."
"Because of all this, it is possible that people have switched to crops that did a little better last year, like zucchini or cucumber." In fact, according to the analysis of Asaja Almeria, these may have grown by about 10%.
"For the most part, Hortamar's plantations haven't yet been planted because we are in Roquetas and we have a later production, but we can already say that in Almeria, we are going to have a bit more cucumber, which is our flagship product and, going slightly against the forecast, we will also have more bell peppers."
These fluctuations in the acreage will be reflected in the supply of the various vegetables that will be on the market this season. If nothing unexpected happens, there will be a return to normality following the regularization of energy prices, which had driven Dutch greenhouses to turn off their lights last winter. This is already becoming noticeable.
"Last year, there were already customers seeking to reach agreements for programs at this time. It was a difficult season, and not only because of that. When prices went up so much, there were commitments that could not be met, and quite a bit of tension ensued."
"This year, we are back to normal. The planting in the Netherlands will be at 100% again, so there is no rush, and that is allowing us to work without the concerns of last season."
For more information:
Hortamar
Carretera de Alicún 148
04740 Roquetas de Mar, Almeria, Spain
Tel.: +34 950 338 205
[email protected]
https://hortamar.es