Three leading Spanish fresh produce associations have called on the country’s government to declare the Valley of Guadalquivir in the Andalusian province of Jaén a “disaster zone” after widespread flooding caused major crop losses.
According to the Union of Small Farmers (UPA), some 1,400ha of agricultural land has been affected by the floods after heavy rains caused rivers to burst their banks, with losses said to be heavy in citrus and seasonal vegetables, including carrots and beetroot.
Fellow association Coag said that one of the most damaged zones was the town of Andújar and the surrounding countryside where crop sowing had been made impossible by the flooded land.
In a statement, the Association of Young Farmers (Asaja) placed the blame for the floods with the Andalusia’s regional government, claiming it had failed to clean riverbeds and had rejected investments in new dams.
The organisation has demanded that the authorities “immediately adopt measures to alleviate the immense losses” suffered by farmers, including direct aid to those affected.
