Spanish grower associations say the iceberg lettuce shortage brought on by atypical climatic conditions is set to continue throughout April.
Output in the provinces of Murcia, Alicante and Almería is set to drop by 50 per cent compared to the same period last year, according to Proexport and Amopa.
The associations said forecast rainfall over the coming weeks is likely to cause delays and interruptions to harvesting, adding to the instability of supplies this season. Together with an expected late start to harvesting in central Europe, this will leave markets undersupplied this month.
Other leafy vegetables and cauliflowers are also likely to be affected.
Spain produced 723,848 tonnes of lettuce in 2015 with a value of €631m. It is Murcia’s leading horticultural export, with shipments reaching 501,985 tonnes, equivalent to €423m. Murcia supplies 70 per cent of Spain’s entire export volume.
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