Low supply of vegetables in Spain and Morocco will continue in February and March

There’s still a limited supply of greenhouse vegetables from southern Europe and Morocco due to the impact of colder and rainier weather than usual in recent years, FreshPlaza notes.

In the case of peppers, there’s also still a high degree of Thrips parvispinus affection. High prices are generally expected to make up for the lower volumes.

“The weather has been cooler than usual since October, with more cloudy days and plenty of rain and storms from November onwards, which, in addition to delaying the production, have also facilitated the spread of fungal diseases, such as mildew and Botrytis. Also, we have fewer and fewer tools available to fight these diseases because of the restrictions imposed by European regulators,” says Fulgencio Spa, Manager of the Granada-based company Fulgencio Spa, which has vegetable crops both in Granada and in Morocco, especially cucumbers and cherry tomatoes.

Also read: Storms in Spain and Morocco: “Everyone had to cancel trade”

“The supply of vegetables has been significantly reduced both in Spain and in Morocco, and this has kept prices very high throughout practically the entire winter season,” says Fulgencio, who predicts that “this situation will continue throughout February and March, as the damage to the plants is already irreparable and there’s no time to react before the end of winter.”

Faced with this situation, producing and marketing companies are unable to meet all the demand from their clients. “While it is true that prices on the free market are sky-high, we are distributing the supply between the different orders and programs agreed with our clients so that everyone can be served. In general, our clients are showing understanding in the face of this situation, which is affecting the entire sector,” says Fulgencio.

The Granada-based grower says that “in many cases, high vegetable prices will help compensate for the overall lack of produce this season.”