Last week the main Spanish and international seed houses with experimentation centers and farms in the Region of Murcia held the Lettuce Innovation Days, in which they opened their doors to farmers, technicians, and professionals from all over the world to show them their latest developments in lettuce and other leafy products that can be marketed fresh and processed.
Seed Houses and Domestic Production
Firms such as BASF, Rijk Zwaan, Syngenta, Ramiro Arnedo, Meridiem Seeds, Bejo, Enza Zaden, Vilmorín, and HM Clause have modern facilities in agricultural areas of Torre Pacheco and Cartagena, where they have shown their new plant varieties, made crop demonstrations, shared information, carried out tastings, and other complementary activities.
Fernando Gomez, CEO of Proexport, highlighted this close collaboration between seed companies and producers at origin. “Today, the Spanish southeast's leafy crop sector is leading the world in terms of technology, development, innovation, and sustainability. That's not just my opinion, that's what any reputable international distribution operator would say. We are more advanced regarding varieties adapted to drought and climate change, technological developments, machinery, logistics, quality, sustainable land use, and good agricultural practices. Farmers from all over the world come to see our techniques to save water and everyone is impressed with our water efficiency. The Spanish sector is too humble to realize how much more advanced it is than other markets.”
Production and export data
The Spanish southeast has been and is Europe's main and best outdoor lettuce production area, thanks to its benign Mediterranean climate in the autumn and winter months.
The Region of Murcia has the largest area dedicated to this vegetable. In 2022, it had some 14,000 hectares of the 34,000 that Spain devoted to this crop. The regions of Campo de Cartagena and Valle del Guadalentin concentrate the highest production. The east of Almeria and Valencia are also large producers.
In 2021 the Region of Murcia exported 542,270 tons of lettuce, 34,935 tons of escarole and endives, and 25,355 tons of spinach, accounting for 67%, 51%, and 66% of the national total, respectively. European consumption is concentrated in Spain, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands, and Italy. Spain also exports its lettuce to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Canada.
For more information:
Proexport
www.proexport.es