Increases in tomato production in the Netherlands and pepper cultivation in Israel are two of the key reasons behind a fall in the value of Andalusian exports in recent weeks.
This was the assessment of the Spanish region’s interprofessional fruit and vegetable association Hortyfruta, which said a number of “negative factors”, including competing exporters, were affecting Andalusia’s fresh produce sector.
Hortyfruta last week agreed to the suspension of sales of Class 2 large aubergines in the whole of Andalusia as a result of a fall in the export value of the product, which is partly being blamed on an increase in production of the vegetable in the region.
According the organisation, exports have also been affected by the fall in the consumption of fresh produce in general as a result of the current financial crisis and the persistence of mild weather in northern Europe, which is allowing production to continue.
Hortyfruta managing director María José Pardo said Spanish exporters were hopeful that the difficulties would ease over the coming weeks as Andalusian fruit and vegetables reach markets in greater volumes and colder weather begins to arrive in northern Europe.
