More than 800 growers from the Spanish province of Almeria have presented demands for compensation to the European Commission for damage suffered to their businesses as a result of the German E.coli crisis.
The Spanish region of Andalusia and its province of Almeria were arguably among the most badly affected areas in Europe by the collapse in consumer demand and prices after the German authorities initially, and wrongly, linked Spanish cucumbers with the outbreak.
In total, 871 Almerian growers are demanding compensation for losses suffered that totalled almost 2,000ha, with tomatoes, courgettes and peppers among the most affected products, according to regional daily Ideal.
Tomatoes were the single worst affected of the products, the publication said, with total losses in Almeria estimated at €4m, followed by peppers, where losses recorded by growers were said to have reached €800,000.
