According to the president of the Garlic Sector at Asaja, Miguel del Pino, it is estimated that 30% of Spain's garlic acreage won't be harvested this season. This reduction is a consequence of the persistent rains recorded in late May and early June and will also result in a lower production volume.
Del Pino planned to talk about this forecast at the meeting of the Joint Fruit and Vegetable Committee of France, Italy, Portugal and Spain, held in Rome, where the conclusions of the contact groups from those nations will be addressed.
The Spanish representative, who will speak on behalf of the garlic contact group of the four countries, which met on April 25 in Peñafiel, in the Spanish province of Valladolid, will also talk before the Joint Committee about "suspicions of the irregular entry into the European Union of fresh garlic on a massive scale."
This situation is the result of the entry "of the product into the Union as frozen garlic, to avoid the quotas imposed on Chinese garlic, as well as the tariffs to which it would be subject if it was delivered as fresh garlic," he said.
"This is taking a severe toll on the EU garlic market," said Miguel del Pino, who will address the respective state administrations about the need to create "a specific code for 'frozen garlic' to allow a proper border control of imports."
Miguel del Pino, who is also vice president of the National Garlic Board, will also talk about the need "to implement the principle of reciprocity to the garlic imported by the European Union," given the lack of active materials for the phytosanitary control of certain diseases and the disinfection of garlic seeds for the planting.
Source: lavanguardia.com