"The Spanish greenhouse vegetable season has started under favorable conditions. There has been no extreme heat or rainfall, and the Sahara dust has not yet made an appearance this year," says Luis Ramos from MG Fruit in Ridderkerk, Netherlands, who provides an update on various fruiting vegetables in this article.
"Netherlands has reduced its supply of aubergines earlier than usual, leading to a swift transition to Spanish products. This has resulted in high prices, with Dutch aubergines selling for around €16-17 and Spanish ones for €14-15. The question remains how long these prices will hold, largely depending on how quickly production increases in Spain, though that information is still somewhat uncertain."
"Zucchini prices have been relatively stable over the last two weeks, but they are now rising to a level between €7-9. Due to shortages of Dutch products, Spanish zucchinis are more than welcome," the importer adds. "Cucumber prices are also high, with Dutch small cucumbers selling for €9-10 and Spanish ones for €7-8. Gradually, more supplies from Spain are coming in, but prices have started at a relatively high level."
"The supply of Spanish peppers is also beginning to ramp up. Until last week, the prices for Dutch peppers were still relatively high, with red peppers priced between €9-10 and yellow ones between €10-12. Spain is attempting to align with this price level, but this remains a challenging task for now."
"It's a favorable moment for Spanish tomato growers to begin their exports. The prices for round Dutch tomatoes range between €6 and €8. The supply of cherry tomatoes, both plum and round, appears to be dwindling. Generally, more cherry tomatoes are available year-round from Spain and Morocco, making it difficult for the Netherlands to compete. This led to dramatic price drops over the summer. While prices have since increased slightly, they still need to rise by another €2-3 to compensate for this season's low average."
Luis notes that the seasonal prices for Spanish greenhouse vegetables are significantly higher this year. "Average prices are much more aligned with levels from two or three winters ago rather than last year. This has made supermarkets less eager to finalize seasonal contracts. Spanish suppliers don't mind this situation either, as it prevents them from facing the scenario they encountered a few years ago, where they had to buy zucchinis at €20. They are no longer willing to take that risk." 
For more information:
Luis Ramos
MG Fruit
Tel: +31 (0)180 745 477
[email protected]
www.mgfruit.nl