According to data shared by the Prices and Markets Observatory of the Government of Andalusia, tomatoes are the leading greenhouse organic vegetable in Andalusia, with 34% of the total production marketed in 2022/23. Vine tomatoes have become the most representative type, with a 48% share of all tomatoes marketed, pushing cherry tomatoes to second place for the first time.
"This year, similarly to what we've seen with other products in Almeria, the organic tomato campaign has started with some delay," said Emilio Lopez, from the family business Caña y Retama, which specializes in the organic production of this type of tomato in Almeria's main tomato growing area.
"Since we have farms in both La Cañada and Retamar, we can manage two planting dates. On the Retamar farm, which is a couple of degrees cooler than La Cañada, we can bring the planting forward, and, in fact, this year, the production has been carried out on schedule. We planted at the beginning of August and started harvesting tomatoes between October 15 and 20. But in La Cañada, we have had a delay. We haven't been the only ones affected since, apparently, there have also been problems with the seedbeds, and it has taken longer for the plants to be ready."
"You cannot forget that this is a chain," said Emilio. "The moment one link fails, everyone starts having to deal with delays, and planting 10 days later does not necessarily mean harvesting also 10 days later because when the cold weather sets in, the plants' growth slows down. In fact, for this reason, there are tomato greenhouses in La Cañada which are not yet in production at this time."
"Organic tomatoes are trendy in Almeria"
According to information provided by the Government of Andalusia, the marketing at the origin of organic tomatoes last season accounted for 20% of the value of non-organic tomatoes, which highlights how important this product is from an economic standpoint.
"The organic production of tomatoes is trendy for different reasons. On the one hand, organic tomatoes usually have a slightly longer cycle than the conventional, and on the other hand, prices tend to remain much more stable. During cold periods, when the production decreases, conventional tomatoes can stay higher, but in general, their prices are much more volatile, and while they will occasionally rise, sharp drops can also be recorded from one week to the next.
"A few years ago, there were great limitations when it came to finding pesticides for organic crops, but now all companies are focused on the manufacture of bio and zero residue products, which are increasingly used even in conventional farming, as pests do not grow resistant, there aren't any problems with MRLs, and they are as effective as the products designed for conventional farming."
"There also needs to be conventional tomato, anyway, because not all growers want or are able to adapt to the protocols and practices for fertilization or soil disinfection required to be certified as organic. But everyone can do conventional (and with lower costs, as is done in Morocco). So, if that is our advantage, we have to make the most of it."
For more information:
Caña y Retama
Cortijo el Malagueño 10
04120 La Cañada, Almeria, Spain
Tel.: +34 950 292 228
Email: [email protected]
https://cayre.es