Growers of Spanish iceberg are warning that the UK market will run short of product over the next two weeks as importers continue to scour their sources far and wide to meet customer demand.
According to producers’ association Proexport, which represents growers in the south-eastern Spanish region of Murcia, there will be a 27 per cent decline in output year on year over Easter (April 4) and the following week.
Iñaqui Soriano of Proexport member Angel Teresa Hermanos said: “The repeated rainfall recorded since the beginning of the year has brought delays and significant losses of production, given that humidity and cold have made plant development very difficult and brought about damage to such an extent to cause either partial crop loss or reduce sizes.”
One UK receiver who supplies into the foodservice sector told freshinfo on Tuesday: “Today, the heads of iceberg we received were so immature that three would fit on the palm of your hand.”
Exporters are warning the situation will get worse before it gets better and that they will really struggle to supply their customers throughout Europe.
Juan Antonio Jiménez, commercial director of Primaflor in Almería, said: “To meet our customers’ demands many of us are having to bring forward our harvesting dates with the result that individual head weights are lighter than usual. Our clients already know about this, but it could also lead to gaps in harvesting in April. But of course, as always we will have to wait and see how the weather pans out, especially in the week leading up to Easter.”
UK importers say have been struggling since almost the beginning of the year to keep customers supplied across all salad lines, as well as try and break even themselves. One told freshinfo: “We have been supplementing arrivals from south-east Spain with product from France and Italy, Egypt, Turkey, Jordan, Tunisia the US, wherever we can. This has been going on for three months off and on across tomatoes, capsicum and cucumbers, as well as iceberg. We have never left a customer short, not even for one day, but we are suffering. It is a challenge to get the quality they need when the availability is just not there and we are having to pay a lot more money.”
Proexport reports that growers and exporters in the regions of both Murcia and Almeria are working closely with their customer base to minimise the difficulties.
But freshinfo’s importer source says this is easier said than done: “Oh, yes our customers understand the difficulties, they just don’t pay any more money. It is us and the growers that are suffering.”
For him, the UK season just can’t start soon enough. He said: “We paid £20 for a box of Dutch capsicum this week. I think these difficulties will go on for at least another two to three weeks. I just can’t wait to get into the summer and UK production.”
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