The low temperatures recorded due to the polar front that arrived in Spain last week are starting to have an impact on the seasonal crops in the Vega Baja. The thermometers have dropped to 3 degrees Celsius below zero in some parts of the region, like Catral, taking a toll on vegetables and perhaps also citrus fruits. The most damaged crops are beans, potatoes and, especially, artichokes, the flagship product of the Vega Baja, and which usually yields high prices for the growers.
The night frosts have caused stains to appear on the artichokes. The ice causes the product to turn brown in the layers that protect the heart, which has a higher value. If the below zero temperatures persist, growers fear that the heart and the stem could also be affected, which would result in their loss. In any case, those "brown" artichokes have a lower market because they are not as visually appealing. They can no longer be sold for the same price, but for half, and mainly to the canning industry. Frosts can be fatal for the production of vegetables, because ice crystals can generate cellular and tissue tears, or the drying of the fruit. Moreover, they can cause the plants to wither or bring their development to a halt, depending on the intensity and duration of the phenomenon.
At the worst time
The intense cold has arrived at the worst time, just when the artichokes were reaching their best selling price (between 1.70 and 2 Euro per kilo). The most affected by the low temperatures will now not exceed the 60 or 70 cents. The agricultural union Asaja estimates that 20% of the beans and artichokes cultivated in the Vega Baja have been affected; the other big union, La Unió, elevates that share to 50%.
The regional secretary of La Unió, José Manuel Pamies, says that there have so far not been enough nights of intense frosts for the hearts to be damaged, but "if the outer layers have been affected, the skin becomes misshapen and the top part turns brown, and it is no longer suitable to be sold commercially, even though the heart, which does not freeze, can still be used by the industry." Pamies laments that this episode of low temperatures is causing the price paid for the artichokes of the Vega Baja, one of the best in the country, to drop substantially. "The sizes so far had been good, with a well-formed shape and a tender flesh. The price was exceeding the 2 Euro and the stained ones will not be worth more than 70 cents now." Even though vegetables, especially artichokes, need cold temperatures to develop, and can resist a bit of frost, "the problem is that the frost has been accompanied by wind, which results in it being much more damaging," says the county secretary of La Unió.
The manager of Asaja Alicante, Eladio Aniorte, says that "although stained artichokes are just as good as the others, the market does not want them, so their price will drop." However, Aniorte remains optimistic. "We will have to wait until the second harvest, in March, when the crops will no longer be damaged, as long as it stops freezing at night." What is clear is that the decline in the production could cause an increase in the price of the vegetables that escape the impact of the frosts.
Citrus
In the case of citrus, it is still early to know how these frosty nights will affect them. Oranges, lemons and mandarins may have a good outer appearance, but still have frozen inside, which is a threat to the production in this second season. The problem is that the situation was already bad in the first part of the campaign, with prices hitting rock-bottom. José Manuel Pamies describes the campaign in the Region of Valencia as "ruinous. Most citrus growers have not managed to cover their production costs, and some have not even paid for the harvest," says Pamies.
Fino lemons, which are common in the Vega Baja, are reaching prices at origin of between 15 and 20 cents per kilo, while prices in the retail market do not fall below 2 Euro. Navelina oranges have not even reached the 20 cents at origin and many growers have been forced to sell them in December for less than 10 cents. The situation of mandarin growers is very similar. In addition to the excess production, there has been competition from other countries like South Africa, Morocco, Panama or Argentina. "The Government says that we do not meet the conditions to request the application of the safeguard clause, so it is not defending us, while our producers are suffering financial difficulties because of the ruinous citrus fruit prices," says the representative of La Unió.
Eladio Aniorte, of Asaja, says that "politicians have abandoned us when we needed them most," and also that the situation will become unsustainable if citrus fruit prices don't change. Both agree in pointing out the importance of having an agricultural insurance that will cover the losses caused by frost damage.
Source: diarioinformacion.com