Almeria still tops list for pepper production

Although decreasing of 3,1% against last year, Spain, more precisely the province of Almeria, tops t…

Although decreasing of 3,1% against last year, Spain, more precisely the province of Almeria, tops the list for pepper production. This emerged from a study conducted by Eurostat, elaborated on by the Council of Agriculture of Andalusia.

Almeria, with forecasts reporting a production of about 631.000 tonnes this year, represents 44,14% of the national production, quantified by Eurostat of 1.130 million tonnes. This amount passes of 26,25% the average production of the rest of the country.

Compared to the rest of Europe, the volumes produced in the Almeria are 24,63% of the Eu total production, 2.561 million tonnes. If we compare the volumes coming from Almeria during the 2014/2015 season with those of other production areas of the EU the data speaks for itself: 85,52% more peppers were produced in the Spanish province against Holland whose production, according to Eurostat, which reached only 340.000 tonnes. Compared to Italy, who should count on a 282.3 thousand tonnes production, the percentage increases to 123,43%, while compared to Greece the difference is of 160,75%. The difference with Turkey is very high, Turkey stops at 186.000 tonnes, 239,12%.

In terms of cropped area, according to Eurostat, the province of Almeria dedicates 9.400 ha to pepper production, making about half of the total of the nation, quantified in 18.500 ha. In this case, too, the difference compared to other producer countries is high: Italy dedicates 11.400 ha to peppers, Holland about 11.000 ha while Greece and Turkey have a cropped area of 4.900 and 1.200 each.