Adverse weather is causing a severe shortage in supplies of lettuce and other leafy vegetables from Spain. Murcian exporter association Proexport said weekly sendings from the region, which together with Almeria supplies the bulk of the Spanish crop during the winter months, have fallen from an average of 12,000 tonnes in December to just 7,000 tonnes in weeks 2 and 3, a drop of almost 42 per cent.
“The situation is serious because it affects not just iceberg but all types of salad eaten by millions of consumers including romaine, mini romaine, little gem and escarolls,” Proexport said. “Other European countries such as France and Italy are experiencing similar –if not worse – production shortfalls, so the situation is likely to last until early February.”
The association points out that producers are struggling to meet demand from international retailers, in spite of these lowering their quality specifications in an attempt to secure maximum volume. As a result, prices are likely to rise significantly in the coming weeks.
The cause of the current shortage is two-fold: an unusually mild autumn bringing harvests forward by 10-15 days followed by a cold snap at the beginning of the year throughout the main growing regions.
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