Spain: Pineapple shortage and very high fertilizer prices continue to cause concern

The small supply of pineapples from Latin America on the European market results in higher than usual prices in Spain, at a time when consumption usually drops somewhat after the summer sales. This year, a limited supply is also expected around Christmas, a period when consumption traditionally peaks in Spain. “At the moment, most volumes still come from Costa Rica, but we are already seeing product appearing from other countries such as Panama, Colombia or the Dominican Republic,” says Sandra Sitjar, marketing director of Cultivar, one of the largest Spanish importers of exotic fruit. According to Sandra, cultivation costs are still very high at the moment. “The shortage and very high prices of fertilizers continue to raise concerns. And while logistics costs for imports from some regions are decreasing, in others, such as in the case of Costa Rica, they remain high,” she explains. “And then there is the new CO₂ tax that shipping companies appear to be introducing from January ...