30% of garlic area in Spain to remain unharvested

Approximately 30% of the garlic area in Spain is expected to remain unharvested. According to Miguel del Pino, the president of the Asaja Garlic Sector, persistent rains at the end of May and beginning of June have led to this reduction, resulting in a significant decrease in the overall yield of the ongoing campaign.

Last Tuesday, Del Pino presented this forecast during the plenary meeting of the Joint Fruit and Vegetable Committee, which comprised representatives from France, Italy, Portugal, and Spain. Along with members of the garlic contact group, the meeting in Rome (Italy) was attended by professionals from strawberry, citrus, tomato, table grapes, stone fruit, pip fruit sectors.

As the representative of the entire garlic contact group, Del Pino highlighted the suspicion of a massive and irregular influx of fresh garlic into the EU. He explained that frozen garlic is being brought in at the Union borders to bypass the established quotas on Chinese garlic, as well as the associated tariffs that would be imposed on fresh garlic imports.

The current situation has led to significant disruptions in the garlic market within the European community. To address this issue, Del Pino stressed the importance of implementing specific customs control measures. He suggested the creation of a dedicated code for frozen garlic, which would facilitate proper border inspections and ensure accurate categorization of received goods.

At present, customs inspectors encounter difficulties in effectively classifying incoming shipments due to the absence of a specific code for frozen garlic. Del Pino emphasized the need for the principle of reciprocity to be applied to garlic imports by the European Union. This approach would help tackle challenges related to post-emergence phytosanitary control and the disinfection of garlic seed for planting by ensuring the availability of necessary resources and materials.

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