The agrarian organization UPA-UCE Extremadura has warned of a wave of robberies in Vegas Altas del Guadiana, where the irrigation campaign is in full swing. Over the last three weeks, more than a hundred producers have been affected by the theft of batteries or diesel, by the destruction of part of the irrigation infrastructure, and by the theft of tons of fruit and vegetables. Some have also reported damages to their facilities.
The organization is urging the authorities to stop this situation with a greater presence of state security forces and the collaboration of the municipalities, as we are currently at a key moment in the harvest of crops such as tomatoes, watermelon or melon and some fruit trees.
The consequences are substantial, not only because they are having their crops stolen, but because of the damage they are causing. At this time, for example, losing access to water for a few days can significantly reduce the production.
The culprits are said to be organized groups, capable of acting in a matter of minutes. Their strategy is usually the same: they wait for the field to be empty, either at noon or at sunset. However, there have been cases where the producers themselves have had to face them, as they were being robbed while working on their farms.
Although keeping large areas of land under control is difficult, sources from UPA-UCE stress that we must focus our efforts on the hot spots where the majority of cases of theft are being reported.
Source: eldiario.es