Vegetable shortage due to cold in Spain; where have the Dutch tomatoes gone?

Vegetables

Spain

Netherlands

Published Mar 6, 2023

Tridge summary

The scarcity of cauliflower has already led to high prices, but vegetables such as tomatoes, cucumbers and bell peppers are now also difficult to obtain. The supply of fruit and vegetables from Spain was smaller than normal in recent weeks due to the low temperatures in the country. But why don't we just get this vegetable from our own country?

Original content

In December it was too hot in Spain, which caused some vegetables to grow faster than normal. In January it was just too cold and the harvest failed to materialise. And that is annoying, because we need a lot of vegetables from Spain this year, says Roger Abbenhuijs of Greenhouse Horticulture Netherlands. "We need more from abroad because of the expensive energy." During this period it is too dark in the Netherlands for many vegetables. Nowadays we have lamps that provide enough heat and light to compensate for the lack of sunlight. "Normally we now also grow tomatoes in Dutch greenhouses. But this year it costs too much money," says Abbenhuijs. That is why many growers have opted to leave the lights off this year. Otherwise the products will be too expensive. In Spain, tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers usually grow in the fields around this time. Little energy is required for this. If the country had had an average harvest, there would not have been a problem this year either. "But ...

Source: Nu