Pepper cultivation has seen its area decline across Almería’s greenhouses, Spain’s leading producing province for this crop. This follows a turbulent previous season, mainly due to outbreaks of Thrips parvispinus and other pests, as well as lower profitability caused by declining production and falling prices.
Pepper growers have opted to diversify into other crops, such as cucumbers, which are gaining ground following the positive seasons they have experienced in recent years. In previous growing seasons, peppers have suffered setbacks due to the proliferation of pests that are highly resistant to authorised active substances and to the beneficial insects used in biological control. Some growers were even forced to completely remove their crops because of pests such as Thrips parvispinus. Spider mites and aphids are also affecting some of Almería’s greenhouse farms.
Tomatoes, another of the key products in Almería’s fresh produce sector, are also losing ground in terms of acreage. The crop once exceeded the 10,000-hectare mark, but lost almost 2,000 hectares over the course of a couple of seasons due to fierce competition from third-country imports. The area has now stabilised at between 8,000 and 8,500 hectares.
According to estimates by the Almería Territorial Delegation of the Regional Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development of the Andalusian Regional Government, pepper growers will cultivate a total of 12,224 hectares, 300 hectares fewer than the previous year, when acreage had already recorded a slight decline. This represents a reduction of 2.3%.
For tomatoes, taking all types into account, production will cover a total of 8,280 hectares, exactly 100 fewer than in the previous season. This represents a year-on-year decline of 1.1%.
Support for crop removal
The Andalusian Regional Government will allocate €2.9 million in aid to growers in Almería and Granada who have been forced to remove 100% of their pepper crops affected by Thrips parvispinus. In Almería, 216 beneficiaries will receive €2.8 million, while €122,411 will be distributed among 10 growers in Granada.
According to the latest information available, the Almería Territorial Delegation of Agriculture has carried out 597 inspections to verify that crops have been correctly removed and to prevent the pest from spreading to neighbouring greenhouses, initiating 209 sanction proceedings for non-compliance and plant-health risks.
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The Regional Ministry continues to stress the importance of implementing biological control protocols and complying with mandatory crop-removal measures, particularly now that harvesting has begun. Biological control protocols are being improved thanks to research by specialist companies such as Agrobío and Koppert, among others, with the aim of tackling the effects of the pest.
Figures from the last season
According to data available from the Almería Territorial Delegation of the Regional Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, the value of pepper exports increased by more than 9% last season. Alongside cucumbers, whose export value rose by 22%, peppers generated one of the largest increases in value in this type of trade. Overall fresh fruit and vegetable exports, taking all products into account, increased by more than 12%.
As for tomatoes, according to the only overall assessment available to date, based on data compiled by ASAJA Almería, they were among the crops to record the sharpest decline in production. Acreage fell by 2.3% and production dropped by 17.3% to 940,500 tonnes. However, the average price rose by 11.6% to €1.06/kg, partially offsetting the decline in production. The value of production stood at €997 million, 7.7% lower than in the 2024/25 season.
Pepper acreage fell by 2%, while production declined by 16% to 745,200 tonnes. However, the average price increased by 6.7% to €1.44/kg, an increase that was not enough to compensate for the smaller crop. The value of production therefore fell by 10.4% to €1.073 billion.
Industry assessment
ASAJA Almería has identified a slight redistribution of crop acreage this season. The organisation expects some of the area lost by peppers to shift towards cucumbers, among other crops. In the case of peppers, it highlights the delay in planting precisely as a way of reducing the impact of Thrips parvispinus, which remains widespread on numerous farms despite the support provided by integrated pest management.
Adoración Blanque, President of ASAJA Almería, warns that the season will once again “be difficult because of this pest”, as it was last year, although there are hopes that management of Megalops, a beneficial insect expected to help control Thrips parvispinus, will continue to improve. Biological control is progressing and remains one of the main approaches being pursued by the sector.
