The persistent drought in much of Spain is causing serious problems, not only in the water supply for domestic and recreational use but also in critical sectors such as agriculture and livestock. The lack of rainfall has directly impacted these activities, especially in the availability of pasture for livestock and the necessary irrigation for crops, such as tomatoes.
This year, the Las Nieves Cooperative Society, located in Seville, has only planted 50% of the tomatoes it usually plants due to the drought. "Given the drought we're facing, we didn't want to take any chances and decided to plant half of the tomatoes we've planted in other years. Instead, we have planted zucchini and cucumbers, which are vegetables that need less water," stated the president of the cooperative. Producers now have enough water reserves for three months but are concerned that it may not rain before these reserves are exhausted.
"There is a lot of uncertainty. If it doesn't rain in the coming months, we could lose a large part of the harvest because it won't bear fruit," he added. Traditionally, the cooperative collects around 4 million kilos of tomatoes in its second harvest, but this year it expects to harvest 2 million kilos at best.
The shortage of domestic production could lead to a rise in tomato prices that would directly affect Spanish consumers. In addition, Spain will have to import "more tomatoes that don't have to comply with the same health and quality conditions as our tomatoes."
Source: elconfidencialdigital.com