The president of the Artichoke Vega Baja del Segura Association, Diego Martínez, said that "despite the fact that production has been lower than in previous seasons, prices have been higher and, therefore, it has been a profitable campaign."
Average artichoke prices increased by up to 50% and exceeded 0.60 Euro, about 20 cents more than last year.
Some of the reasons for this, according to the president of the association, include the increased consumer demand, driven by promotional campaigns carried out by the association, the slight decline in production and the strong demand from the processing industry at good prices.
This crop profitability, continues Martínez, has encouraged many growers to plant more artichokes, and thus the acreage is expected to increase next season. Furthermore, productivity should also increase in the 2015/2016 campaign.
Over 23,000 tonnes produced
In terms of production, the Vega Baja has exceeded 23,000 tonnes, which is about 3% less than in the previous season.
The decline in production has been the result of the high temperatures registered during some specific moments of the campaign and, to a lesser extent, to soil fatigue, which results in lower yields.
60% of the production of Joya de la Huerta was for the canning industry and the remaining 40% has gone to the fresh market. The share of the production intended for the fresh market has increased this year by about 5%.
As for exports, results have remained very similar to those of previous years and France and Italy continue to be the main destinations for the artichokes of the Vega Baja.
