Freezing temperatures struck parts of the Spanish region of Valencia on the nights of March 5 and 6, causing extensive damage to peach, nectarine, apricot and kakifruit crops.
The worst affected areas were la Ribera and the Albaida valley, where some growers fear they have lost the entirety of their crops. Temperatures fell as low as -3°C, severely affecting fruit development and apricot varieties Mitger and Galta Roja, to the extent that some 90 per cent of the crops of those varieties have been damaged in the Albaida valley.
Clementine crops are likely to be affected, as early varieties in the region were already in bloom, although it is still too early to assess damages accurately.
Early potato plants have also been damaged in the fields, and some crops have seen the totality of their leafy matter destroyed.
High winds of over 40 miles an hour were also recorded, causing late varieties of citrus to fall from the trees or damaging fruit as branches knocked against each other. The varieties mainly affected are Navel Late, Lane Late and even Valencia. Producers estimate that the affected fields have lost about 20 per cent of their volume as a result.
Meanwhile, the president of the Ava-Asaja growers’ association, Cristóbal Aguado, has called for speedy assessment of damages by loss adjusters, so that producers with insurance receive timely payouts. “The resulting decline in production of summer fruits and citrus should generate greater balance between supply and demand,” he said.
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