The province of Almería in southern Spain is home to the largest concentration of plastic greenhouses in the world. The so-called “mar de plástico” covers nearly 40,000 hectares across the Campo de Dalias coastal plain, where more than 16,000 greenhouses produce around 40% of the fresh vegetables consumed in Europe during the autumn and winter months.
The greenhouse area around El Ejido is a major production hub for tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers. According to the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Spain accounted for one-third of Swiss vegetable imports in 2025.
Producers are facing rising labour costs, retailer pricing pressure, and increasingly strict pesticide requirements. José Antonio Cánovas Zafra, a fourth-generation grower and manager of Kernel Exports, said labour costs have increased sharply in recent years.
“The minimum wage has gone up by over 30% in the last five years. We don’t just compete with produce from Europe but also with South America, North Africa, South Africa and Eastern Europe, where labour costs less than half of what we pay here,” he said.
According to Eurostat, Spain’s labour cost averages €26.40 (US$30.43) per hour, compared with the EU average of €34.90 (US$40.20), Italy’s €32.00 (US$36.86), and the Netherlands’ €47.90 (US$55.18).
Growers are also adapting to tighter pesticide regulations. The number of authorised active substances in the European Union has declined from more than 1,000 to around 500 over the past 25 years. Retailers have also introduced their own residue requirements that extend beyond EU legislation.
“European law is not enough for our customers, and each one is making their own protocol in terms of active substances and maximum residue levels in produce. We cannot spray, we cannot control the aphids, and the biggest challenge is to achieve the same quality with the limited tools we have,” said Zafra.
To address rising costs, some operators are investing in automation. Vicasol, a cooperative with more than 1,000 growers and annual tomato volumes of 90,000 tons, has invested €6 million (US$6.91 million) in automation systems over the past three years. The technology includes artificial intelligence-based sorting systems, multispectral quality analysis cameras, robotic pallet handling, and automated guided vehicles.
According to automation supplier MAF RODA, some projects have reduced staffing requirements on pre-sizing lines from 30 workers to five workers per shift, resulting in an estimated 33% reduction in annual labour costs.
At farm level, however, digital adoption remains limited. A European Commission study published in 2025 found that 36% of Spanish farms had not adopted digital technologies. Spain’s Strategic Plan for the Sustainable Development of Agriculture 2023-2027 has allocated €1.5 billion (US$1.73 billion) for precision agriculture and digital farming technologies.
“Digitalisation is needed for farmers to become more accurate in decision-making. Our farmers are resilient, but resilience cannot be an excuse for a lack of action,” said Francisco Góngora Cara, mayor of El Ejido.
Source: SWI