Israeli exporter Arava Export Growers reports a strong start to its capsicum season with early plantings giving senders a valuable niche on export markets at the end of the Dutch season. 'We are well ahead of schedule,' said UK marketing manager David Crossland. 'A number of growers have planted earlier as they saw an opportunity to get into the market and as a result we are nearly a month earlier than usual.' The early start means that the company will extend its season from December until the second week of April. It supplies red, yellow and orange capsicum.

Production under plastic tunnels is concentrated in the Arava desert in southern Israel in a triangle between the Dead Sea and Red Sea. Volumes have grown dramatically over the last five to eight years and growers have invested heavily in the crop and in infrastructure such as grading and packing machinery.

'They have been supplying peppers since 1993 in increasing volumes, but this season conditions have been ideal and we have an early start, good volumes and excellent quality,' said Crossland.

The company specialises in salads also supplying tomatoes and most herbs, but capsicum is its biggest volume product and the US is biggest market, although the UK is growing in importance.

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