The sudden temperature drops in southeastern Spain could further reduce the already low supply of leafy vegetables, broccoli and cauliflower in Europe. The volumes of these products are lower than usual due to the impact of the weather in Spain and Italy. The passage of storms, rains, frosts and considerable temperature fluctuations have caused volumes to be scarce and the quality to be affected. The shelf life of the products is also shorter, especially that of lettuce and cabbage.
In southeastern Spain, especially in the Region of Murcia, which accounts for much of the leafy vegetable supply in Europe during the autumn, winter and spring months, the recent rains have slowed down the harvest, although the cold will have a more decisive impact in the coming days.
The season is already at quite an advanced stage in this producing area, as storms were followed by periods with higher temperatures than usual in winter (with maximums ranging between 20 and 22ºC on average). Sources within the sector warn that if the current minimum temperatures stay at the same levels for at least a week, there will be significant production gaps before the arrival of the local crops in central and northern Europe.