Pepper
Almería's leading protected crop by area, volume and value, the pepper ranges from colourful Californias to the slender Italiano and the fleshy Lamuyo, all picked by hand under plastic.
The pepper holds first place among Almería's protected vegetable crops by area, volume and value: for 2024/2025 the Andalusian Observatory records 12,682 hectares, some 911,800 tonnes and a farm-gate value of 1.121 billion euros — around a quarter of the province's greenhouse area. Like the tomato, it was among the very first crops of the pioneering 1963 greenhouse in Roquetas de Mar.
The gastronomic interest lies in the diversity. The California, short and square, is picked red, yellow, orange or green; alongside it, the Lamuyo is larger and fleshier, the Italiano longer and slimmer — the frying pepper. The range also includes sweet conical, hot and snack types. Harvesting remains manual, to free the fruit without damaging peduncle or branches.
The sector looks firmly outward: 54% of the volume produced was exported in the 2024/2025 season, with the European Union taking 84% of shipments and Germany leading at 38%. In northern European markets, winter's colour arrives in crates of Almería peppers.
Varieties
- California red, yellow, orange or green
- Lamuyo
- Italiano
- Sweet conical
- Hot
- Snack