The sales of Spanish produce, and especially tomatoes, are falling short of expectations. "Usually, we see prices rise across the board in January, but that's not the case now," says Luis Ramos from MG Fruit.
"The weather in Spain has been good and, except for some cooler temperatures, the products are steadily coming off the plant. The problems in tomato cultivation in Spain are hardly noticeable, and the production is so high that there is no talk of problems. With the supply from Morocco, Turkey, Spain, and the Dutch lit cultivation, tomatoes, both on the vine and loose, are abundantly available."
"I do hope and expect that the prices will pick up a bit, but something needs to happen in terms of weather conditions or production problems," Luis continues. "As a result of the high prices recently, people are reserved because they don't want to get burned. At the same time, a lot can still happen. We are only in the third week of January, and we know that the market can completely turn around within a few days."
"The prices of Spanish peppers and eggplants are at a reasonable level. For courgettes, the price is even at a very high level, but that market is peak-hour with very high prices and little demand. Spanish strawberries are also scarce. We get some supplies every week, but they are not yet being snatched from your hands. I expect a bit more supply on the market in a week or two."
"The prices of field vegetables are also not bad. For example, Spanish broccoli is being sold for a price of around 10 euros. But there is always someone with a few pallets from last week who goes under the price. All in all, there is no jubilation in the market, but hope springs eternal."
For more information:
Luis Ramos
MG Fruit
Tel.: 0180 745 477
[email protected]
www.mgfruit.nl