Pepper, tomato, eggplant, and zucchini prices continue their upward trend at the beginning of 2025. While cold weather is causing a slowdown in production, in the case of peppers, the impact of the new thrips, Parvispinus has also become a major concern, both because of the quality problems at the destination and the drop in production. Tomato prices are also expected to continue to rise.
"There are very serious problems with pepper exports due to the impact of viral diseases, because when the product is loaded and ready for dispatch, it shows no signs of damage, but a few days later when the goods have arrived at their destination, there are signs of rotting in many cases," says an exporter from Almeria.
"In fact, some shipments with journeys longer than three days are being canceled to avoid this kind of problem," says the exporter. Everything points to the fact that the problem is only going to get worse in the coming weeks. "There are difficult weeks ahead for peppers," warns the grower and exporter.
The origin of this thrips in peppers is not yet clear. While some blame it on the influence of the weather, others say it's linked to the seedbeds.
As far as tomatoes are concerned, prices are expected to continue their upward trend in the coming days. "In the Netherlands, late plantings have already started in preparation for the spring season, while in Almeria there are problems with varieties resistant to the rugose virus, so volumes are lower than expected," says the exporter.
Meanwhile, average eggplant prices already exceed 2 euros per kilo in auctions, while zucchini prices continue to climb, approaching the euro per kilo in the case of thin zucchini, especially due to the influence of the cold weather on yields.