THE CULTIVATION SURFACE WITH 16.000 HECTARES WILL REMAIN STABLE COMPARED TO THE PREVIOUS.

The Spanish Federation of Fruit and Vegetable Exporters (Fepex) foresees the production of 1.600.000 tons of tomato in the October-May period of the current campaign that has just begun.

Fepex has reported that the cultivation area, with 16.000 hectares, will remain stable with respect to the edition 2012/2013, a campaign that was also marked by stability in the volume of production and cultivated area compared to 2011/2012.

Also, has detailed that the Spanish-French-Italian contact group, composed of producers from the three countries has met in Brussels to take stock of the last campaign and analyze the prospects for the current one.

According to Fepex, representatives of the Association of Tomato and Cucumber Producer Organizations of France, “AOPn Tomate”, They highlighted that in the first half of the campaign there was a decrease in the production of 15 % due to weather conditions, which then recovered in the last quarter.

Italy, on the other hand, highlighted that in 2012/2013 has had a 15 % less production than in the previous campaign.

At the meeting they also addressed the reform of the specific regime for fruits and vegetables, and noted the delay in the presentation, both in the European Commission's report on the matter and in the presentation of legislative proposals.

Fepex has reiterated the importance of maintaining aid to co-finance collective and individual investments in farms within the framework of this regime.

In relation to the agreement between the European Union (EU) and Morocco, indicated that they will continue to raise with the European Commission the need to carry out “strict monitoring” of the same.