Asaja warns that many kilos of fruit have been lost
An intense hailstorm that hit parts of Lleida last weekend has caused significant damage to the stonefruit crop, denting hopes of a positive season.
The storm swept through several municipalities in Segrià, hitting production in many parts of Baix Segre and the north of the region. While official estimates of losses have yet to be released, it is believed that in places like l’Horta d’Alcarràs, up to 90 per cent of the crop could have been damaged or lost. Peaches, nectarines, flat peaches and cherries are all believed to have been affected.
Pere Roqué, president of Asaja, said the storm struck at a time when the fruit, although still small, was already ripe. “In half an hour, many kilos of fruit have been lost, and many jobs will also be lost,” he said, adding that “such a violent hailstorm in April makes us think it could be a complicated summer in terms of hailstorms”.
The President of the Generalitat of Catalonia, Salvador Illa, said the government is monitoring the effects of the storm on the 2025 campaign and assessing its impact in order to be able to meet the needs of local growers.
Meanwhile, in Murcia, cooler-than-normal temperatures are delaying the harvest of early season stonefruit varieties. Although small quantities of extra-early fruit have already begun to be harvested, significant volumes are not expected until early May, as the cool weather has delayed the ripening of early varieties by 8 to 10 days.
According to Santiago Martínez, president of the Federation of Agricultural Cooperatives of the Region of Murcia (Fecoam), March rains have been very beneficial for this year’s harvest. He said the region is gearing up for “a campaign of great quality and quantity”.
