According to the Valencia growers' association Ava-Asaja, onion growers in the region are receiving such low prices for their produce that they cannot even cover the cost of crop. The association quotes prices paid to growers as low as euro0.07-0.09 a kilo when supermarkets in the region have reportedly been selling the product to consumers at euro0.66 a kilo. UK wholesale market prices for Spanish onions during April were well below levels for the same period in 2002 and 2001 but there were signs of an upturn in the market last week when prices climbed 200p on average to the 650p mark for 20kg.
In the Valencia region there are almost 2,000ha under production of onions yielding some 88,000 tonnes a year on average.
Ava-Asaja president Cristóbal Aguado is calling on the Spanish ministry of the economy to honour its promise to monitor food prices and put anti-inflationary measures in place if necessary.
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