The newly formed Andalusia supply chain trade body Hortyfruta made its first major move this week when it suspended sales of class II round tomatoes as a price crisis hit the sector.
“We have taken the steps that were within our own reach to intervene in the price crisis,” Hortyfruta said in a statement. The organisation is also echoing the call of other sector bodies reported on freshinfo last week for the EU to take action against excessive sendings from Morocco.
But traders in Spain were not convinced the move would make much difference to the marketplace. “For about the last two weeks now, second category fruit has really not been selling anyway,” said one trader.
In the Canary Islands, production conditions have been ideal for the crop, but growers are frustrated at overproduction in “other areas”, Domingo Mendoza of Tenerife tomato producer-exporter association, Aceto said. “We have had absolutely ideal growing conditions with very little rain and splendid sunshine. The harvest started late, but up until this recent crash, prices have been reasonable. Fruit quality has been excellent and now we are at the mid-point in the season, we are really hoping the price situation can be sorted out soon so that overall we will have a reasonably good campaign.”
