Spanish producers are under pressure from the UK to fill gaps in supply on some lines while demand for others has waned, leading to a build up in volumes.
“There is demand from the UK, because of the rain and floods, for brassicas and leafy salads, but we cannot just turn on production,” explained Quique Oliver at Agriveg in Valencia. “At this time of year we just don’t usually produce these lines for export, but that doesn’t stop buyers asking for them. We work on a timescale of about three months from planting to harvest and all our plantings are in for programmes in October and November.”
Meanwhile, demand for other summer lines has been patchy as the weather in northern Europe has not been conducive to summer fruit uptake. “The weather in our export markets has not been on our side and this has been making the situation for stonefruit, melon and watermelon very complicated,” said Oliver.
Andres López of the federation of co-ops in Murcia, Fecoam, said the situation has been felt particularly keenly on watermelon. “I hope that with warmer weather in northern Europe and the UK this week the situation will pick up,” he added. “But up to now, with the cooler and inclement weather, there has been a lot more watermelon supply than there has been demand.”
Grapes have also been tricky for producers and the market alike up to now. “Temperature variations in all the main growing regions have had an impact on quality and quantity, but it does vary from variety to variety and area to area,” said Oliver.
Meanwhile, the arrival of Superior Seedless grapes on the UK market this week marks the second wave of Foods from Spain’s 2007 promotional campaign. This year’s activity includes large six-sheet posters outside stores, trolley posters and point-of-sale and website advertising in the major multiples to support a win-a-holiday promotion on packs of Superior Seedless grapes, and money off Spanish holidays for each customer.
María José Sevilla, director of Foods from Spain, said: “We have an excellent programme of promotion. Although crop volume is down this year, producers in Murcia are reporting a high proportion of excellent product.”
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