After experiencing the warmest winter since 2007, Murcian production of iceberg lettuce is projected to be down 30 per cent this spring, according to exporter association Proexport.
The mild temperatures – peaking at 27.2oC – have brought the crop forward by around 15 days and are expected to result in a shortage of production in the coming weeks.
“From mid-March we’ve seen a progressive fall in output, coinciding with the arrival of spring, when demand traditionally starts to pick up in northern European markets as salad consumption rises,” said Proexport’s director Fernando Gómez.
He said growers are warning that they will have insufficient volume to meet the demands of their European customers over the Easter holiday.
Murcia exported 484,639 tonnes of lettuce in 2013 with a value of €393m. Together with Almeria, the region is the leading supplier of lettuce in Europe, accounting for 28 per cent of the German market, 20 per cent in the UK and 15 per cent in France.
