THE RISE OF ALMERIA AND THE FUTURE OF THE GLASS INDUSTRY IN THE SOUTH OF FRANCE

However, heated production of tomatoes in Holland and southern France has risen sharply again and has made April exports from mainland Spain diminish perceptibly in April.

This situation makes it tempting to conclude that there have been weaknesses in the Spanish production system. People have mentioned shortage of water supplies, lack of land, low fruit quality owing to growers' low productivity and/or transport time, saturation of demand, increased price of petroleum products (plastics, fertilizer, etc.), and the precarious incomes of most growers.

Of all these local problems, the only one that really handicaps mainland Spain in the European market is the quality of the fruit; this is connected with certain unsuitabilities of the production system in the light of climatic conditions. However, this problem appears to be in the process of being solved, thanks to genetic research.

Spanish April tomato exports, which are already considerable in volume since, together with Moroccan exports, they form two thirds of Common Market dealings, should consequently improve in quality.

Two events could cause an increase in these exports :

• Spain joining the EEC ;
• the abolition of gas subsidies in Holland, planned for 1984, and which would shift a large proportion of production from 1st April to 1st May, thus removing the main object of references prices.

The results of either of these occurences will probably go against the interests of southern French glasshouse growers.

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