Spain’s garlic sector warns of drop in yields and increase in costs

The National Association of Producers and Marketers of Garlic (Anpca) has warned that the current Spanish garlic campaign has been low in yields due to drought and the 15% reduction in production area, in a year in which costs have almost doubled.

This was stated in a press release from an association representing 69 associated marketing companies and almost 1,800 producers at the 49th edition of the International Garlic Fair in Las Pedroñeras. The 2023 garlic campaign has already ended in Castilla-La Mancha, although there are still some plots in the northern Spain of purple garlic whose harvest will end shortly.

The drought has reduced marked production in most of the producing regions and has greatly affected Andalusia, which in the month of April suffered extremely high temperatures and very little rainfall, resulting in early harvests.

In contrast, the months of May and June saw persistent rains that affected later crops such as purple garlic and led to phytosanitary problems at the end of the season. The calibres are down by between 30 and 40 percent.