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Tomatoes are one of the most important crops in Extremadura. In fact, the region will allocate 23,000 hectares to it this year, as reported by the president of the Association of Agrarian Cooperatives of Extremadura (Acopaex), Domingo Fernandez. Prospects point to the production volume obtained in 2018 being reached again. The volume may even increase in some places, as long as no severe weather incidents are recorded.
Domingo Fernandez
Last year, unexpected storms hit some 600 hectares of tomato crops. For now, the production is quite promising, but the industry will have to wait until the last third of July, when the harvest will take place.
Domingo FernandezLast year, unexpected storms hit some 600 hectares of tomato crops. For now, the production is quite promising, but the industry will have to wait until the last third of July, when the harvest will take place.
According to Fernandez, "prices are expected to remain at the same level as last year, with good international prospects in sight, despite the fact that there are still some tomatoes in stock. China and Italy, which compete with Spain in the production of tomatoes, have seen their volumes reduced. In China, it has been due to government decisions, while in Italy the producers are switching to more profitable crops".
However, the president of ACOPAEX considers that "these decisions are taken at a time when the tomato market is becoming increasingly important, as the global consumption is now greater than the production. Therefore, by the end of the year, stocks are expected to be empty".
Regarding prices, he said that they will remain at last year's levels, given those reached in the world markets. According to the latest WPTC report, Spanish tomato growers and processors have agreed to leave raw material prices unchanged for the coming season; processing tomato will be paid about 70 Euro/mT ex field or 75-77 Euro/mT delivered in Extremadura and just one euro more in Andalusia, the same level of 2018.
Source : elperiodicoextremadura.com, WPTC
