Stone-fruit growers in the Murcia region are pulling up hundreds of hectares of trees.

According to the president of Murcia growers’ association Fecoam, Santiago Martínez, growers have stopped producing on 300ha due to drought conditions in their region. Martínez told the Spanish press that members of his association have pulled up 210,000 trees since the summer and in some parts of the region producers are reducing their orchards by as much as half.

“There just isn’t enough water for the entirety of production,” said Martínez. “Growers know that and that is why they have taken these first steps. It is the later varieties that are most affected by the grubbing-up as they are those that need most irrigation.”

By contrast, production of extra-early varieties is being strengthened as a shorter production cycle means they require less water.

Martínez warned, however, that growers are also having to transfer production out of Murcia to Andalusia, Extremadura and Castilla-La Mancha where water shortages are less severe.

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