Torrential rainfall in Spain at the end of last week that claimed 10 lives has devastated production for some growers – but benefited others.
Known as the “gota fria”, or cold drop, heavy rains often hit south-eastern Spain at this point of the autumn, but a prolonged drought in the area over the summer and hard dry land meant that a month’s rainfall coming in just one day could not be absorbed quickly enough.
According to the association of Spanish agricultural insurers Agroseguro, some 18cm of rain fell in Murcia and Almeria in a 15-hour period from Friday to Saturday and in parts of Valencia levels were recorded at 17cm. It said that crops most affected are lettuce, broccoli and artichokes followed by grapes, kakifruit and citrus.
However, Guy Dixon of citrus exporter Martinavarro, said: “The rainfall has been good for citrus. Where there was smaller sized fruit it will help nudge it up a size.”
The Murcia producer-exporters association Proexport told the Fresh Produce Journal that assessment is still ongoing, but there are likely to be gaps in supply of some vegetable and salad lines.
A spokeswoman said: “The area between Lorca and Pulpí has been hard hit and some growers will have to replant lettuce and broccoli. The rainfall has not had an impact on sendings at the moment but we will see the effect in three months time at the end of January, when there will be gaps in iceberg and other lettuce supply.”
Not all growers can afford to replant. Peter Davis of importer-exporter Davis (Produce) Ltd said one of his courgette suppliers had lost all 20ha of his crop. He explained: “Lots of growers simply don’t have the money to replant. They have had three difficult years in Spain and a lot have pulled away from growing traditional crops to growing wheat because of the returns.”
Davis added that volumes were already being affected and that of the eight pallets of Spanish capsicum he should have had from the market at Perpignan earlier this week, there were only two.
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