Spain: 20% increase biological tomato production

Date:06-20-2012

The growing area under biological pest control this year in Almería is 20,750 hectares, a share of almost 80% of the total greenhouse area. The tomato crop has registered an increase of around 20% over the previous season.

These data confirm the province of Almería as Spanish leader in the application of these methods of cultivation, more respectful of the environment and increasingly valued and demanded by consumers.

From the year 2007 a green revolution took place in the greenhouses of Almería starting to use natural enemies for the biological control of pests in a large percentage of the greenhose area, especially in the pepper crop. 
For Almeria’s main crop however, tomato, this transformation was slower. After the arrival of the exotic pest Tuta absoluta in 2011 the protection of this crop plant too has passed mostly to biological control.

According to the Government of Andalusia, 3,154 hectares of tomatoes were already under biological control programs in the 2011/2012 campaign.