Following the devastating floods in southern Spain, alternative sources for various vegetables are in demand in western Europe, but supplies from further afield come with additional challenges
The damage to crops from extreme weather in southern Spain in recent years has opened many European consumers up to the vegetable offering coming out of North African countries like Morocco and Egypt.
Given the torrential rain and flooding to hit southern and eastern Spain this autumn, consumers in western European countries like the UK are already braced for higher prices or even empty shelves on various lines of fruit and vegetables this winter, according to iNews.
Tamer Mohamed, international trade specialist at Egyptian producer Agro Max, sees good potential in Europe for its iceberg lettuce, as well as other produce from Egypt.
“There is potential for increased European demand for many Egyptian products, including iceberg lettuce,” he told Fruitnet. “Many European markets are asking about iceberg lettuce, including Belgium, the Netherlands and the UK.”
Egypt’s iceberg lettuce season is already underway, with Agro Max offering premium iceberg “grown under optimal conditions, ensuring a crisp, fresh and flavourful product that meets the highest standards of quality”, according to the producer.
Optimal conditions have been hard to come by in many countries this year, including across Europe, but Egypt may have been one of the few lucky ones.
“Climate change is not really having a big effect in Egypt,” said Mohamed, “except for last year, when the strawberry harvest was affected. But I think this season it will be better.”
The biggest challenge at the moment, he said, was the transit time for supplying such a sensitive product as iceberg lettuce all the way to western Europe.
“The transit time to countries like Belgium, the Netherlands and the UK is around 15 days,” he said. “That’s a long time to ensure the product arrives with good quality. At the moment, we are therefore focusing on markets that don’t take such a long time to reach, including Italy and France.”
