The Almería branch of the Coordinadora de Organizaciones de Agricultores y Ganaderos, COAG, is warning of a "critical situation" following the passage of Storm Leonardo. The weather system, which has kept the autonomous community on maximum alert over recent days, has put both crops and structures under severe strain, affecting older greenhouses as well as more modern production facilities.
Wind, the main enemy
"Although rainfall has been significant, the most destructive factor has been the wind. The strong gusts associated with Leonardo have caused damage to plastics and structures, particularly in traditionally designed greenhouses, with lower and flatter layouts. However, the intensity of the phenomenon has not discriminated between technologies, as significant partial damage is also being recorded in covers, plastics and ventilation systems of modern installations, including more up to date multitunnel models".
© COAG
Excess humidity and flooding
"To this structural damage, another serious problem must be added, namely humidity. Persistent rainfall and the lack of sunlight hours are preventing crops from drying out, creating an ideal scenario for fungal diseases and rot. At the same time, the lack of effective phytosanitary tools to combat this context of extreme humidity is causing a drastic drop in production, which may exceed 50% compared to the volumes handled during the same period last year".
"In this respect, and although crop damage is widespread, COAG Almería warns of the particular vulnerability of crops such as watermelon. As their transplants have only recently been planted and the plants are still very small, they are being severely affected by the humidity caused by flooding as a result of successive and continuous storms".
Beyond the exceptional nature of Storm Leonardo itself, the situation has also exposed deeper sector weaknesses. "The repeated flooding of the same production areas highlights a structural problem in land use planning. It is therefore necessary, once again, to point out that current drainage infrastructure and planning are insufficient to absorb this type of meteorological event, which is becoming increasingly frequent and severe as a result of climate change".
© COAG
The mirage of prices
"In this context, COAG Almería clarifies that the current price situation reflects a natural and logical balance given the drop in production. For this reason, the farmers' organisation is calling on marketing companies, large distribution chains and major supermarkets to maintain price stability and avoid commercial pressure, as supply will not be able to recover in the short term due to the severity of the damage".
"Finally, COAG Almería is currently collecting damage data, although the persistence of the storm still prevents a definitive assessment. For this reason, the organisation stresses the importance of affected farmers and livestock producers completing the mandatory damage report in order to formally record the problems the sector is facing. Even so, it is expected that the reduction in fruit and vegetable supply in the coming weeks will have a direct impact on the markets".
For more information:
COAG
https://coagalmeria.com
