NigelS

I am considering buying a property with a reasonable amount of land and growing vegetables. Apart from the issues associated with growing is there a market for this type of ambition in Spain or is the market difficult to enter? I would appreciate any advice from anyone who produces veg or fruit, nuts or olives on their land that can offer some advice.

olivefarmer

Farming in Spain has tight margins like anywhere in the EU. My view is you only make good money if you get the fundamentals right e.g. enough olive trees to make a living and not have to spend every waking hour on them and have just the right amount of machinery.

If you have a look on google Earth at the Adra area you could be forgiven for thinking it has many lakes. They are actually "plasticulture". A very efficient way of producing fairly tasteless crops in huge polythene greenhouses.

On the plus side if your property has an abundant amount of water and decent soil you should be able to find a local market for your produce. I would recommend you join a Co Op. For quality produce they will get you the best price. Plus you get advice, training and fertilisers(at a good price) and so on. The converse is you have to toe the line regarding rules . For example for olives you have to be acredited in pruning and pesticide handling. This involves attending courses. Our pruning course was two weeks. Four hours a.m. and four hours p.m. at distant locations.

I cannot stress too much the importance of the availabilty of water. I have seen no end of local wells deliver less and less each year.

One thing you might consider is growing unusual stuff . For example chillies. They grow well enough but are hard to source in the shops.

A further consideration is your autonomo contribution. Being self employed you will be expected to pay a flat rate each month (about 280euros) regardless of whether you have sold anything. There are discounted schemes for some farmers but you have to jump through hoops.

philat98

Single varietal olive oils sell for a good price. You just need quite a bit of time and money to get going.

NigelS

Thanks for your advice. I have been looking at specialist crops rather than the usual ones and perhaps buying a farm that is already producing something profitable would give me a basis to introduce other crops while there is an income. Is there someone or some organisation I can approach in the first instance?

My brother in law's wife's family have lived in the Valencia area for generations and have orange groves by the hectare but are too labour intensive to harvest the fruit compared with the market rate. Prices of valencian oranges have dropped especially as other countries are producing cheap produce. They have sold some of their land now as the labour costs are greater than the market price. It's heartbreaking to see.

Retired in Euskadi

If you're living in Qatar then presumably you're looking to move to southern Spain rather than here in the north where there is abundant water.
Yes, water is key.
Farm prices have plummeted for many products but if you can establish something that provides for a niche market, so much the better. Maybe something unusual such as dried flowers or herbs.
Many farmers in the UK have had to 'diversify' to remain in business; I know one Northamptonshire arable farmer with 400ha who went into cold pressing and bottling rapeseed oil and it's really taken off.
The other difficulty would then be trying to convince a somewhat conservative Spanish public to sell your produce to. But it's not impossible.
Have a look at what diversification projects there are in UK; you might get an idea.

NigelS

I am aware that water is key and also be available via a natural source rather than being paid for through a meter. I have no specific area in mind. The property and it's attributes would be the driver. I've spent nearly 10 years in the Middle East and North Africa so I think I could come to terms with living anywhere in Spain depending on how friendly and welcoming the locals are.

philat98

I just spent a week in a Agriturismo in Puglia on an olive farm. As part of the holiday package we could take all the fruit and vegetables we wanted from the farm garden. Although the real value of what we took was not much it was one reason for choosing the location.
Italy gives quite a few financial advantages for creating this type of structure. I dont know if Spain has an equivalent scheme.

Retired in Euskadi

Land is quite expensive in Euskadi, less so in Navarra, say anywhere south of Pamplona. Cheaper in Asturias, Galicia and France.
Language won't be a problem because everybody speaks Spanish. Basque is more spoken in the north of Navarra, and around Bera de Bidasoa, northern Navarra, it rains a lot!
Tha average annual rainfall where we are in Elorrio is about 1100-1200mm.
Temperatures are on the whole mild and I have to reckon on counting a few weeks ahead of British planting/sowing times. It can get quite hot in summer, eg average 27C during June-September.

NigelS

Thanks for all your advice. It's given me food for thought.

I will continue with my investigations.

cricketman

Agricultural land is cheap here in Asturias, plenty of rain and the land fertile

Nobody wants to be a farmer any more, so much of the land remains unused

The problem with Asturias is that it has a tradition of small holdings, so its often difficult to find land for sale big enough to produce sufficient quantity to generate profits