The Spanish 2024/25 tomato season started around 15 days earlier than the previous one. "In fact, strong volumes are expected to arrive already by mid-November," says Juan Manuel Andújar, from the Almeria-based tomato company Agrupalmería. "The bulk of the planting was done in early August, so we will be able to go to market around two weeks earlier than last year."
"There is always the possible impact of viruses, which could delay the start a little, but for now, we have the issue under control. At Agrupalmeria, we have been testing varieties with resistance to the rugose virus and these are the ones we have been recommending to all our growers, and so far, we haven't had any problems."
"The strategy to deal with viruses implies not only working with resistant varieties but also strengthening the plants against infections with the use of biostimulants. However, biostimulants make the plants grow more than normal, which can reduce tomato production by up to 30%. This is why it is essential for us to provide technical support to our growers so that they can grow with maximum guarantees while also obtaining maximum yields."
Tomato accounts for between 85 and 90% of Agrupalmeria's production. In terms of volume, tomatoes on the vine are among their most important products. "However, we specialize in flavor-oriented varieties, and two of our leading products are probably the Raf and the smooth tomato," says Juan Manuel.
"These two tomato varieties, especially the Raf, are mainly consumed in the domestic market, in France and in Italy. Outside the Mediterranean, consumers don't seem as familiar with tomato varieties that are not red, and the Raf and smooth tomatoes ripen from the inside out; unlike the long-life tomato, which acquires its intense red colour on the outside before reaching the correct degree of ripeness, Brix and organoleptic qualities that give the tomato its flavour. This is perhaps why people have been saying for a long time that tomatoes no longer taste like they used to, because the varieties produced ripen on the outside before they do on the inside."
"It is worth noting that our strongest period is the autumn and winter season. In summer, we continue to supply our clients, who highly appreciate the freshness and quality of our field-packed tomatoes, although we handle smaller volumes, because there is production in other parts of Spain, as well as in other European countries. Nonetheless, it seems that those European domestic productions have not been doing as well as they should have and we have seen some very interesting peaks in the demand for tomatoes from Almeria."
For more information:
Agrupalmería
Carretera Níjar La Cañada km 5,200 04120 Almería, Spain
Tel.: +34 623 39 03 10
[email protected]
https://agrupalmeria.com