The Federation of Agricultural Cooperatives of Spain’s Murcia region (Fecoam) has described the recent summer fruit and vegetable campaign as “disastrous” for southern Spain, with losses estimated at over €36m.
The collapse in prices as a result of the German E.coli crisis, low temperatures across Europe and the saturation of markets have all played their part in negatively affecting crops harvested between May and August, the association said.
At a press conference held this week in the city of Murcia, Fecoam president Santiago Martínez said the German E.coli outbreak in late May led to significant losses in terms of products destroyed, the loss of clients and markets, the fall in prices and the loss of the good image of Spanish fruits and vegetables.
The association said Murcian cooperatives sold a total of 803,930 tonnes of fresh produce during the summer months, some 8.4 per cent less than the same period a year before.
In terms of products, Martínez said the greatest financial losses were suffered by vegetable producers, with the impact of primarily the E.coli crisis estimated at over €27.5m. The colder summer also negatively affected sales of melons and watermelons, he added.
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