The garlic planting season has already come to a close in Spain, and the acreage devoted to this crop is expected to decrease by around 15% compared to the previous campaign, when a significant decline had already been recorded. Thus, according to the National Association of Garlic Producers and Marketers (ANPCA), the garlic acreage has been reduced by more than 30% over the last two years.
"The lack of water and the constantly rising production costs are making garlic cultivation increasingly challenging in Spain," says Luis Fernando Rubio, director of the ANPCA.
In Castile-La Mancha, the main producing region in Spain, the acreage has been reduced by about 14% compared to the previous campaign, while in Andalusia, the region with the second largest garlic production and the most affected by drought, the acreage devoted to garlic has plummeted by 20%.
Looking at specific varieties, purple garlic has suffered the most significant drop in the acreage. For the first time in history, this native variety in Spain will represent 38% of all the garlic varieties planted. "The abrupt end of the previous campaigns led to low calibers and lower yields per hectare, which has robbed many growers of the motivation to continue planting," says Luis Fernando Rubio.
"For now, the weather has been favorable for garlic, with ideal temperatures and some rains that have helped groundwater levels to recover in areas that really needed it. The first harvests in Andalusia won't start until mid-May, so we will be keeping an eye on the development of the plantations," says the director of the ANPCA.
For more information:
Luis Fernando Rubio
National Association of Garlic Producers and Marketers ANPCA
Plaza Arrabal del Coso, s/n. Aptdo. 66
16660 Las Pedroñeras (Cuenca), Spain
+34 638 10 39 10
www.anpca.es
[email protected]