The Almeria-based horticultural cooperative Vicasol has warned of the difficulties of the sector in the European market, especially in the case of tomatoes, as a result of the Russian veto, the proliferation of greenhouses in countries of the European Union (EU) and competition from Morocco and Turkey.
José Manuel Fernández, manager of the company, headquartered in Puebla de Vícar, operates across the entire province of Almeria, including Campo de Níjar and El Ejido.
The manager of Vicasol explains that the Russian veto affects them in two ways. On the one hand, the borders of a country which purchased tomatoes, aubergines or peppers have closed; on the other hand, there is an increasing volume of productions from Morocco, Turkey and the Netherlands competing in the EU market, thus resulting in "saturation."
He also warns of the impact of new greenhouses in the Netherlands, Belgium, Scandinavia and the UK, which produce tomatoes and other vegetables and reduce dependence on imports from Spain.
"If the situation is not resolved, tomatoes have a very uncertain future," states the manager of the firm, one of Spain's largest cooperatives, also known as the Fruit and Vegetable Producers' Organization (OPFH).
In this sense, he believes that the EU support to compensate producers for the impact of the Russian veto and the withdrawal programs supported with operational EU funds have proved insufficient to restore the profitability of growers.
The capacity of food banks to receive these vegetables to distribute them among the needy is very limited, given the perishable nature of the products, while the aid intended to compensate for the destruction of surpluses does not even cover transport costs to authorised "biodegradation" centres.
"The EU needs to change its current crisis management mechanisms, as long as it wants them to really be effective," says the manager, who also urges Brussels to introduce new aid for the processing of vegetables so that charitable institutions can distribute the products all year round.
Despite all the current problems, large cooperatives are making great efforts to adapt and, in the case of Vicasol, "we are very well positioned in the European markets."
Overall, the manager said that the current horticultural campaign "is being atypical" because of the weather conditions, which have caused some bottlenecks in the supply.
