After finishing the pepper season in Almeria, Spain, which this year has been affected by the presence of thrips, we are now immersed in the Murcia season, whose development has been shaped by the impact of last month's rains. We talked to Daniel Guerra, sales representative for Centramirsa, one of the auctions in Campo de Cartagena.
"So far, the season has been quite good, but the situation is already changing. We foresee that, in the next twenty days, the red Lamuyo's supply will start to fall, although it will recover at the end of the month. Regular bell peppers are very much affected by the low prices in the Netherlands. Our sales are also hampered by the presence of Moroccan bell and Lamuyo peppers in the domestic market," says Daniel.
As far as origins are concerned, "some are saying that the peppers from the Netherlands could be from Turkey, Morocco or Egypt, because they are sold in Perpignan at starting prices against which it's impossible to compete, so we have doubts as to whether those bell peppers from the Netherlands are produced in Europe."
At the same time, the situation for green Lamuyo peppers "is good, with above average prices being paid for it, which has a lot to do with their quality."
Almeria's season started with a high presence of thrips, and canning companies have benefited from this, as they have been able to fill their cold stores at very low prices. Thrips leave a scar that prevents the peppers from being marketed. We have seen a lot of peppers from Almeria with good weight and color, but still rejected by the client. This has led to the canning industry buying them at very low prices; as a result, their warehouses are full and they are not coming to Murcia," says the Centramirsa sales representative.
This shortage of premium quality Lamuyo in Almeria resulted in a good start for Murcia's season. "We have been selling red and green ones for around €2, but on Monday we saw a price drop and on Tuesday it dropped even more, so the product lost up to half of its value." He made a prediction: "We assume that prices will recover, but in the next few days there will be plenty of supply and they will remain low."
After a 2024 marked by drought, "the rains a month ago have caused the loss of many peppers," says Daniel. "The first harvest was very good, with peppers with a nice weight and good color, but the second and third harvests lost their flowers due to the rains. The fourth is the next to come, but due to the impact of the rains, we expect peppers weighing between 400 and 500 grams per piece, smaller than the usual 700 grams."
There are consequences for this alternation between hot days and cold ones for the time of the year. Daniel says that "rain, moisture and temperature changes cause cracking" and for this reason "we will have to be very careful when harvesting them."
For more information:
Daniel Guerra
Centramirsa
Tel.: +34 968 17 40 30
Tel.: +34 622 28 83 05
[email protected]
www.centramirsa.es