Antonio Galindo, the president of the Alcachofa de España consortium, confirmed that last weekend's isolated depression at high levels (DANA) hadn't affected the crops in the main production areas, headed by the provinces of Murcia and Alicante, so the country was expected to produce 220,000 tons of artichoke this year, a similar volume to the one achieved in previous years.
"The start of the campaign in Levante, in November, has been delayed by the higher temperatures. Meanwhile, the campaign in Tudela (Navarra), which traditionally is paused in winter and later restarted, is in its first phase and at full capacity," he stated.
Big calibers for export
According to Alcachofa de España, 70% of the production is destined for the national market and 30% for export, especially to France, Germany, and Switzerland. The largest fresh caliber, which oscillates around 800 grams, is exported. 60% of the total production is destined for the frozen and canned food industry.
The president of Alcachofa de España defended the taste of the national product against the imported canned product from Peru and acknowledged that the producers and the industry have had to reduce margins a lot due to the sharp rise in the costs of inputs.
Almost a thousand hectares were affected by DANA, according to AVA-Asaja
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food (MAPA), the Region of Murcia is the largest producer of artichoke in Spain, with 89,821 tons in 2021, followed by the Valencian Community (66,867 tons). Last weekend's DANA caused significant damage to Valencia's agricultural sector; including its artichoke crops, stated AVA-Asaja.
According to Jose Barea, the delegate of the agrarian organization in Benaguasil (Valencia), producers in the region of Campo de Turia have only harvested 10% of what they planned to harvest. He also said that the hailstone that came with the DANA had damaged about a thousand hectares of artichoke crops, from which it will be impossible to collect new fruits until the end of February.
According to his calculations, the region is going to stop producing and, therefore, harvesting some 11,000 to 12,000 kilos of artichoke per hectare.
The DANAs usually affect the region's agriculture more in December and January, he said, adding that he can't recall one that had produced so much damage in mid-November.
Source: efeagro.com