The British are often said to be obsessed with the weather, but undoubtedly it has also been a source of conversation across much of Europe this year. Spain has had its fair share of unusual weather over the last few months, which has inevitably impacted on this year’s salad crops.
Tomatoes and lettuce are said to have been the most affected, but producers insist that good-quality produce will find a home.
Hernan Cortes of Cortes Ltd is cautiously confident about the upcoming season. “In general, you always have to be optimistic about a high-quality product,” he says. “Those growers who have invested in their operations and are meticulous about their level of attention to detail in terms of planting, picking and packing at the right time should feel positive.”
However, Cortes believes that average-quality fruit could struggle. “There aren’t too many homes for this sort of product, and those growers who have failed to invest are falling by the wayside.”
A Gomez claims to be the biggest importer of Spanish tomatoes in the UK, importing year round. The company also handles Spanish cucumbers, iceberg lettuce and peppers. “It’s been a stable market to date for tomatoes,” said managing director Jim Parmenter in late August. “There were some supply problems due to the hot weather in Spain earlier this year, so there were some blips, but we have been covered by Polish tomatoes.”
Gomez has invested in new technological structures and increased its covered areas, but its overall acreage hasn’t changed. “Our aim is to improve quality and supply,” Parmenter tells FPJ.
SpaniaFresh Produce handles a variety of tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers from Spain, and has imported salads throughout the summer, focusing mainly on cherry tomatoes and specialised tomato varieties. “There really are no seasons anymore,” says the company’s Steve Cornwell.
As well as its own operations in the Canary Islands, SpaniaFresh is also in partnership with an Andalucian producer which grows tomatoes, cucumbers and mini cucumbers, peppers and a range of organic products.
SpaniaFresh will increase its cucumber, tomato and pepper production this season. “Every year, we invest more money through SpaniaFresh and Spaniafresh Canaria to grow and export better quality product and to use fewer pesticides and more integrated pest management systems,” Cornwell says.
Although SpaniaFresh will have more volume to hand, Cornwell predicts that Spain will export less salads overall, as lower prices in recent years have taken their toll. Competition from other countries has also had an effect.
Cortes predicts that volumes out of Almería in southern Spain will remain consistent, although shipments from Alicante and Murcia are likely to be lower. “The UK market could see a 10-15 per cent reduction in tomato volumes from mainland Spain and the Canary Islands combined,” he tells FPJ. “This could be even less, depending on the winter weather.”
Furthermore, Parmenter says a lot of land has been sold for buildings and tomato growers are exiting the market, so there are fewer greenhouses around.
Inevitably, the hot weather has resulted in some downturn in volumes, although other factors also need to be taken into account. “A certain number of Spanish growers have adapted their varieties to a larger G size, which are for the domestic market, France, Poland and Germany,” Cortes tells FPJ. “These bigger sizes are not suitable for the UK.
“Labour is a big factor in the cost of production, and it takes a lot longer to pick, select and pack cherry tomatoes than the larger varieties,” he says. “The UK is quite an expensive market to supply, and some growers either do not fully understand it or do not have the finances to target it.”
With the unusual weather producers now face, technology is vital to the sector. “We need good machinery and technology to combat the cold weather and feed the crops,” Cortes adds.
While a number of growers have invested in their operations, putting in place more modern facilities and embarking on new varieties, some argue that more still needs to be done.
Murcia needs a new brand of tomatoes to open new markets, argues ASAJA Murcia. According to general secretary Alfonso Gálvez, the region could secure an added value for its tomatoes by establishing a new brand, allowing customers and consumers to recognise the quality of Murcian tomatoes both in Spain and overseas.
Despite the lower volumes, some sources say returns are unlikely to be higher, as other sources, in particular Morocco, are supplying the market.
However, Cortes argues that Morocco does not necessarily have sufficient volumes of quality product to fill the gaps, and Spain still has the capability to attract high prices.
Indeed, supply shortages during the 2006 season resulted in the sector enjoying good prices in mid-December until mid-February, and from March until mid-April. No doubt producers and suppliers will be keeping an eye on how salads perform in the coming months.
Lettuce growers are also gearing up for the new season. Labour and water issues will mean it is not going to be easy maintaining volumes, says Cortes, adding that some growers have planted fewer lettuces to get round the problem.
He adds that the move away from round lettuce to more speciality varieties is also gaining momentum.
Abbey View Produce begins importing Spanish cucumbers around the second week of October, although according to managing director Brian Hibberd, a number of Spanish co-operatives tend to start in the second week of September with smaller quantities.
“The hot weather is unlikely to affect cucumbers too much and the situation looks okay for Spanish cucumbers,” he says. “I anticipate similar acreage to last year, although it is difficult to come up with a definitive answer, as so many different companies are servicing different markets.”
From September onwards, there is an overlap in UK, Dutch and Spanish cucumbers, and sources warn that there can be problems with oversupply as everyone fights for market share.
This year’s poor summer weather has also meant there has been no real buzz about the salad market and Hibberd, like many others, is hoping for a better September to lift consumer demand.
Looking further ahead, Hibberd says that some cucumber crops in Spain are heated, but only partially. Therefore, if the January weather is below average temperatures, this could mean a fairly short cucumber market.
Furthermore, Hibberd says a small number of pepper growers may have switched their crops to cucumbers.
Earlier this year, Spanish authorities warned that the supply of peppers from Almería could be disrupted, following the discovery of the unauthorised pesticide methyl-isofenphos on crops.
In terms of the future of the salad sector, Cortes feels that the problems of oversupply and subsequent low prices are no longer such big issues. But both Cortes and Parmenter predict further consolidation in the marketplace.
“In the fresh produce business, companies like to be independent, but what is happening is that some firms are having to look into the possibility of merging their operations,” says Cortes.
According to Cornwell, there have been some “terrible casualties” this year in the supply chain. “Some have made big investments without a good enough return, so the wholeindustry has a bigresponsibility to stabilise the sector and try to allow better prices to go back to the producers,” he says. “Competition is healthy, but livelihoods are also important.”
It is early days for the Spanish campaign, but given Mother Nature’s unpredictability this year, all eyes are on the winter months and what impact they may have.
