Growers in Valencia are evaluating the damage caused by severe hailstorms that hit parts of the region on Tuesday. While early estimates from farmer union Ava-Asaja suggested that as much as 45,000ha had been affected, with 60-100 per cent of crops damaged, the losses are not now believed to be as bad as initially feared.
The union said citrus, melons and persimmons were the worst affected crops, with the storm reported to have caused the most damage in the areas around La Ribera, Safor and, to a lesser degree Navarrés.
However, Rafael Perucho, head of the regulatory council of the Kaki Ribera del Xúquer denomination of origin, told Fruitnet that the impact on registered farms had been minimal. “While some areas have been badly hit, thankfully our production has been largely spared and provided there are no more storms, production volumes for the coming season should be normal,” he said.
José Enrique Sanz, managing director of the Cítricos Valencianos PGI regulatory council, said the worst affected areas are known more for orange production rather than easy peelers.
“We don’t yet have official figures for the overall area affected, but past experience shows that the initial loss estimates are more alarming than the actual losses,” he told Fruitnet. “There is a good chance that in citrus at least, affected groves will still be able to market a high percentage of their fruit.”
However, he added that damage to other fruits and vegetables was likely to be more severe.
In the aftermath of the storms, the unions called on the Spanish government to provide more financial assistance to growers in the worst affected areas. “This is a critical time for Valencia’s agricultural sector and so far the government has failed to provide adequate support to producers,” said Cristobál Aguado, president of the Ava-BDA union.
