A new campaign is now starting in the Spanish Region of Murcia for some products, such as melons or watermelons, while it has already finished for others, such as broccoli or artichokes. We'll have to see how much of an impact the rains and competition from third countries are going to have on the development of the season in the Region of Murcia.
Regarding broccoli, Mariano Sáez, sales representative at the Subasur auction, says that "the season has gone smoothly, with acceptable prices and some of the usual Botrytis issues at times, but, in general, it has been good."
As far as Piel de Sapo melons are concerned, Sáez says that "the season in Almeria started with delays due to the two weeks of rain and the lower temperatures. At the start, the melons weighed between 1.2 and 2.5 kg, which made them ideal for export, and they reached good prices at origin, perhaps a little higher than usual. From now on, we'll be getting larger melons with more sugar."
© Potentieel
"In Murcia, the planting traditionally starts on St. Joseph's Day (March 19). We had rains then, so we are expecting a delay in the start of the season and a supply shortage in June, with higher than usual prices," says the sales representative.
As far as the melons from La Mancha are concerned, Sáez reports that "the planting is starting these days, but hail has fallen, so a shortage of Piel de Sapo melons from La Mancha is expected for July."
"There has been some pressure from third countries, especially from the Dumara watermelon from Mauritania and Morocco," despite the severe drought affecting these countries. As far as prices are concerned, "there have been fluctuations, with some better and some worse moments." Although black watermelons are not grown there, Sáez says that "the presence of the Dumara in the markets pushes down the price of Almeria's black watermelon, as the campaigns overlap."
Regarding artichokes, "perhaps the most noteworthy aspect is the difficulties caused by the lack of water. Artichoke production has been very much influenced by the demands of supermarkets, which are opting for hybrid artichokes because they can be better preserved. This is causing the displacement of the white Tudela artichoke, which ends up going to the canning industry because it is tenderer than its rival. On the other hand, the lower supply of this one has resulted in good prices for the producer," and the auction's sales representative believes that "the season now coming to an end has been good."
As far as peppers are concerned, thrips, which have taken a huge toll in Almeria, "are not attacking here. We started with good prices that were somewhat high, but these days the red Lamuyo peppers are filling the auctions, so their prices have dropped, and the green ones are going up as a result."
Domestic bell peppers have been pushed "by the earlier supply of batches from the Netherlands. It is said that these probably come from third countries such as Turkey." This abundance of bell peppers is causing "prices to fall, but there is still a long season ahead for Murcia and Almeria-grown peppers," says Sáez.
For more information:
Mariano Sáez
Subasur
Tel.: +34 968 58 08 80
Tel.: +34 617 52 51 97
marianosubasur@gmail.com
www.subasur.com