Spain’s produce prices jump
Shoppers in Spain are seeing sharp food‑price increases tied to Middle East conflict spillovers, and a broccoli/cauliflower shortage is expected to last at least another month. That squeeze is pushing consumers toward cheaper or shelf‑stable choices and adding near‑term inflation risk for the euro area. ( )
Spain’s shopping basket climbed 1.53% in March versus February, the Observatorio de Precios run by consumer group OCU reported — the largest monthly jump since June 2025. (ocu.org) OCU data show fruits and vegetables led the move, rising about 5.78% in the past 30 days, with price pressure visible across major chains including Alcampo, Carrefour, Dia, Lidl, Mercadona and El Corte Inglés. (euroweeklynews.com) Murcia producers say heavy December rainfall delayed planting this season, and an outbreak of aphids and whiteflies — coupled with the region’s lack of approved chemical controls — has sharply cut broccoli and cauliflower volumes from key exporters such as Agrícola Santa Eulalia. (freshplaza.com) Agrícola Santa Eulalia, which produces roughly 20,000 tonnes of brassicas a year (about 70% broccoli), said it is prioritising long‑standing retail contracts while open‑market supplies and auction volumes shrink, keeping prices elevated for weeks. (freshplaza.com) Producers and traders in Spain link part of the squeeze to higher input and transport costs since the outbreak of wider conflict in the Middle East, and global fertilizer markets have also reacted — urea barges that traded around $475/ton recently jumped to roughly $520–$550/ton in some ports, according to market reports. (freshplaza.com) Retailers report shoppers trading down toward private‑label and value lines as inflation bites; private labels now make up roughly 42–44% of grocery value sales in Europe, and discounters such as Aldi have recorded large increases in private‑label shoppers. (internationalsupermarketnews.com) The European Central Bank has warned the Iran‑region conflict is an upside risk for euro‑area inflation and left policy rates unchanged, noting the war increases uncertainty for energy and food prices. (bloomberg.com) Spain entered the latest episode with headline CPI already running above pre‑pandemic lows (INE reported a monthly general CPI variation of 0.4% and an annual rate of about 2.3% in the most recent release), and consumer groups are urging measures such as a temporary cut of VAT on basic foods to curb immediate household pain. (ine.es)
