The severe weather in Spain has caused some unexpected issues for outdoor crops. 

"We thought we would have a quiet winter, as we've had fairly stable growing conditions throughout the season and good prices. But winter had a sting in the tail over the last ten days," says Thomas Bos of Thomasol, a company that supports wholesalers, retailers, importers, and exporters in sourcing Spanish fruits and vegetables from Alicante.

"Leafy vegetables were the first to suffer from the heavy rainfall, so our main concern now is with iceberg lettuce and other lettuce varieties. We've faced difficulties in supplying the cutting plants, and that supply has immediately come under pressure. Prices for leafy crops on the free market have surged, but hardly anyone is benefiting from it because everyone is tied to their contractual obligations, and there's a shortage to meet those commitments."

"The situation is less serious with brassicas. Cauliflower growers did face some difficulties accessing the fields, but cauliflower and broccoli are resilient crops—those are the least of my concerns," Thomas continued. He is more concerned about watermelon plantings in the Lorca - Águilas region. "Those plantings are underway now, but they're underwater, and recovery won't be quick. That could have a significant impact on the harvest, which usually comes off the fields in July and August."

Fortunately, the bad weather in Spain appears to be coming to an end early this week. "According to the weather forecasts, we still have today and tomorrow to get through, and then the bad weather will move on to Italy," Thomas said.

Source - https://www.freshplaza.com