A heavy hailstorm in Murcia in south-east Spain last week has decimated lettuce crops in the area.
The renowned Campo de Cartagena growing area has lost all of its lettuce crops, according to Alfonso Gálvez Caravaca, the president of growers’ association Asaja-Murcia. He said: “100 per cent of the lettuce and potato crops has been lost. Melon is another of the products that has been affected, but we are hopeful that some can yet be saved. The only alternative is to replant, but the brunt of the hail damage has been borne by lettuce and potatoes, leaving their producers to close the season with absolute losses.”
The fields in Campo de Cartagena were nearing the end of their season and agronomists in the region calculate that it had no more than four weeks to run. Nevertheless, this is likely to leave a gap in supplies as production has yet to switch fully into northern European lettuce.
Ray Boakes, managing director of Southern Salads, said: “This will definitely leave a short-term hole in the market over the next four to five weeks. People will have to look to Egypt, the US, Jordan and Israeli supplies for a short period and I expect prices to go stronger.”
He added that his own business is likely to be less affected as it supplies into the large fast-food chains. There is likely to be more product affected by the hail being targeted at this end of the processing market, as it can no longer be sold wholehead or for freshly prepared salad bags. Boakes said: “We will have to be extremely careful in terms of quality, however.”
At Langmead Farms, James Miller said the hail had also affected some of the firm’s spinach and organic crop availability. He said: “Availability is reduced, but product is still coming through. Certainly, the situation will last into next week.”
The devastating hailstorm lasted less than an hour when it struck on April 7, but the damage was total and also affected plantations of vegetable lines such as broccoli.
Gálvez said growers were still evaluating their losses and has appealed to them to stay calm as they await decisions on compensation and aid.
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