After the damage caused by Thrips parvispinus on pepper crops in the Spanish province of Almeria last season, growers are finding that there are no really effective phytosanitary treatments against this pest, and the heat is only making matters worse.
"Despite the thrips problem last year, we only had one producer affected by parvispinus. Now it is fought with sulphating, without the help of any really effective treatments. I believe that peppers will be expensive this year because consumers are going to be looking for quality peppers, and there won't be much of that," says Antonio Ybarra, Sales Manager for the Almeria-based firm Delgafruits.
© Delgafruits
"If pests attack us in winter, we will have issues with the production. Keeping the crops healthy is very costly. Sometimes, no matter what we do, pests will still get into the greenhouses; they are very difficult to fight," he says.
"Producers are clearly worried, but the problem cannot be easily tackled, because there are no breaks in the crop cycles. There is no rest," says the manager. "A solution would be to bring it all to a halt everywhere; in Almeria, Murcia, Seville, and even in the facilities of seed producers, who are also always active. Pests will always find a favorable environment somewhere as long as there are active plantations."
"Thrips cause the most damage to peppers. They also affect cucumbers, but not as much. There is a lower incidence of pests in the Berja area because of its higher altitudes and cooler temperatures. On the Almeria coast, it only gets cold in December, and the heat keeps them active until then," says the manager.
© Delgafruits
"We grow vine and plum tomatoes in Roquetas, very close to the sea. Every year, we switch to different varieties. Some years we have more pink, others more black; this season, we have opted for vine and plum tomatoes alike. And I think we will start harvesting a little later, in October," says the manager.
With the blockades announced on social media in neighboring France in response to the recent agreements between the European Union and the United States, "I believe they are taking the most logical step. For someone to listen to us, we'll have to make some noise, like the French are doing. In Almeria, we should be protesting against the entry of produce from Morocco, which is doing us so much harm. However, here, producers are all looking the other way. I believe that if we were united, we would manage to defend our interests. We will start our season in a month's time, so, for the time being, we are not worried about the blockade," says the Sales Manager.
Delgafruits is devoted to the cultivation and marketing of tomatoes and peppers. It produces a total of around 20 million kilos a year, which are intended for France, Germany, Italy, Romania, Poland, and Hungary.
For more information:
Antonio Ybarra
Delgafruits
Tel..: +34 672 664 416
[email protected]
www.delgafruits.com
