How is the development of greenhouse crops in Andalusia going in mid-February?

Growers in Almeria (Andalusia, Spain) are following the sowing and harvesting cycles of peppers in the greenhouses. The first ones to be planted are being pulled up, while the later ones are finishing their cycle with the last harvests. Long-cycle peppers will be the only crop until the end of the season.

 

Tomato harvesting is still underway for all varieties. Autumn crops are being withdrawn or are in the process of being withdrawn, while spring crops show different stages of development.

 

As for aubergines, harvesting is continuing in some places, while new plantings are taking place in others. Courgettes are in full production, although some early sowings are being withdrawn to make way for melon, watermelon or to repeat the sowing of courgettes.

 

Some cucumber plots have already completed their cycle and are being replaced by new sowings of cucumber or other vegetables. Those sown later will remain as a single crop.

New watermelon and melon plantings continue to be established and favourable vegetative development is observed. In some watermelon greenhouses, plants are already flowering and beehives are being introduced to improve pollination. In addition, in the most recent plantations, the plants are being protected with thermal blankets.

 

In Sanlúcar de Barrameda, in Cádiz, the Galia melon is in the process of ripening, while other varieties are in the flowering and fruit set phase. The plants are being trained and are being watered every three days, making the most of water resources.

 

In the region of La Costa in Granada, different varieties of tomato have been harvested although the season has been affected by a farmers' strike. Cucumbers of Spanish and Almerian varieties have been harvested, with low prices for the latter. Courgettes and aubergines continue to ripen, while watermelons are in the process of transplanting and leaf development in the most advanced plots.

 

On strawberry farms in Huelva, varieties such as Palmeritas and Primavera are being harvested. As far as blueberries are concerned, harvesting of the earliest varieties is beginning. Irrigation is being carried out almost daily with an input of 18 m³/ha/day in sandy soils. The entry of a lot of fruit from Morocco is putting pressure on prices, generating a downward trend.