As Spanish exporters prepare to send their first shipments to northern Europe, demand for locally produced iceberg lettuce in Germany is reported to be strong, pushing prices up both on the domestic market and in neighbouring countries.
According to research company ZMP, a good but manageable German crop and an apparent fall in volumes out of the Netherlands has led to a slight downturn in supply, coinciding with strong demand in Germany and other nearby markets.
Despite a reported weakening of demand on Spain's own domestic market, exports to Germany are not expected to be especially strong over the next couple of weeks, with Germany's own producers filling the gap left by a smaller Dutch crop.
'Development of German lettuce exports is being supported by the fact that there is not a large volume of iceberg coming from Spain,' said a spokesperson for ZMP. Spain is traditionally Germany's leading supplier of lettuce during the winter months.
The first Spanish iceberg lettuce are due to arrive in Germany at the beginning of next week.
