Cherry tomatoes accounted for 43% of all organic tomato sales, according to a report published by the Prices and Markets Observatory of Andalusia, in which it analyses the development and behaviour of this product during the last agricultural year, which it rates as positive, despite some difficulties.
The data reveal that between September 2015 and July 2016, cherry tomato sales peaked in January, with about 14% of the total, followed by May (12.1%) and April (12.0%). In terms of prices, the price of cherry tomatoes reached its highest point in September, with 1.95 Euro per kilo, as the production was at its lowest during that month (only 0.9% of the total). In the months of March and April, when more than 10% of the total volume of the campaign was produced, the second and third highest prices were recorded, with 1.62 and 1.57 Euro per kilo, respectively.
Looking at the wide range of types of organic cherry tomatoes, the loose red round accounted for 42% of the total sales, the loose red pear for 35% and the cherry on the vine for 23% of the volume sold. The cherry pear (€ 1.47/kg) reached the highest average price during the trading year, followed by the on the vine (€ 1.30/kg) and, lastly, the loose red (€ 1.17/Kg).
The Andalusian observatory also provided some details about the performance of these subtypes in the international market. In the case of cherry on the vine, both the high production and the strong competition from Italy prevented the product from reaching higher trade volumes. The pear suffered two setbacks, one between November and December and another in the antepenultimate week of the campaign, when it reached its lowest price at 0.80 €/kg.
Lastly, the year-on-year price development has been negative for the cherry on the vine and the loose red cherry, which have lost 10% and 6%, respectively. The pear, on the other hand, has remained stable thanks to the sale of some very tasty varieties, which have added value to the product in the market.
Source: La Voz de Almería