Although the frosts have had a negative impact on stone fruit trees and, to a lesser extent, citrus fruits, as well as on some vegetables, such as artichokes in the Region of Murcia, others like broccoli, cauliflower and leafy vegetables have not been damaged.
However, the drop in temperatures is causing a slowdown in productivity, which had been very good so far. "After the few weeks of broccoli shortages that we had before Christmas, we have constantly had large volumes, prices under pressure and a very low profitability. Now, with the drop in temperatures, the production will stabilise and we hope that this will be reflected in fairer prices," explains Fernando P. Gómez, president of Proexport.
Although the actual extent of the damage caused by frost in Italy has yet to be fully assessed by the insurers, the sector speaks of significant damage, not only in stone fruit, but also in vegetables.
"In the coming days, we could see Spain taking over the demand for broccoli or lettuce which was covered by Italy, but it is still early to know. We are constantly in contact with customers to see how the market develops," says Fernando P. Gómez
At the moment, there are also blocked roads and stranded trucks, especially in Italy and on the border of Spain with France, due to the heavy snowfall that has come with the Siberian cold wave. This could hinder the distribution of Spanish fruit and vegetables in Europe in the coming days and cause delays in the deliveries to large distribution chains.