The latest report on protected horticultural crops published by the Observatory of Prices and Markets of the Junta de Andalucia, corresponding to week 15 of 2021, indicates that the first Almeria watermelons are already competing in the market against the fruit from Brazil, Costa Rica, Panama, and Senegal, their main competitors at the beginning of the Andalusian season. The bulk of the offer from Almeria is expected in mid-May.
According to the report, melon sales that week were minimal, as most of the production has reached the sizes demanded by large distribution because of the meteorological conditions in recent weeks, which slowed down the fattening of the fruit.
Pepper
Almeria's pepper campaign is coming to an end slightly faster than usual due to the effects of storm Filomena, which affected the crops during the winter and lowered the quality of the late harvests. The average price of the product continued to fall during the month of April. In week 15 it fell by 20% over the previous week, while the volume sold decreased by almost 25%.
Tomatoes
According to the report, the average price of tomatoes fell by 12% in week 15 over the previous week and its offer decreased by nearly 30%. Specifically, the branch tomato was affected by the reduction in quality of the long-cycle plantations, the shortage of large sizes, and the competition from Central European productions with significant volumes.
Cucumber
The average price of cucumber increased by 53% over the previous week. The marketed volume of Almeria-type cucumber decreased significantly, mainly due to the depletion of the fall cucumber plantations. The supply of short and French cucumbers declined moderately, influenced by the reduction in harvests after the rainy days.
Zucchini
In April, Almeria still has a considerable supply of zucchinis, despite the slowdown in harvesting caused by the rainfalls. The abundant local production, together with the high percentage of large-caliber fruits and the start of the season in other production origins, continue to hinder the marketing of zucchini.
Aubergine
The volumes of long and striped aubergine traded have declined moderately, leading to a better match between supply and demand. The average price of long aubergine increased by 96% over the previous week, while the striped one increased by 8%, although the prices of both commercial types are below the prices achieved in the previous season. As of April, a large part of Almeria's production is destined for the national market.
Source: hortoinfo.es