Storm Nils has hit many agricultural crops, including strawberries in Lot-et-Garonne, the department worst affected. A week after the storm, Hugo Chevalon, technical manager at Strawberries and Raspberries of France, gives an initial assessment.
© AOPn Fraises Framboises de France
Dozens of hectares of greenhouses affected
© Marine Inghirami-Benaroch | HortiDaily.com
As France's leading strawberry producer, Lot-et-Garonne has not been spared by the weather. Still under red alert for flooding, the department has also had to cope with heavy rainfall over the past few days, on soils that were already saturated with water. "There are several hectares completely underwater. The water has risen to more than 1.60 meters and has reached the level of the sacks, or even above," explains Hugo Chevalon.
The situation is made all the more delicate by the fact that some of the plants grown under cover are now unprotected. "Before the flood, there were strong gusts of wind, with peaks of up to 160 km/h, which tore away a lot of plastic. The high concentration of greenhouses in the area, combined with the lack of manpower, means that it is going to take time to put the structures back up," explains Hugo Chevalon.
© Marine Inghirami-Benaroch | HortiDaily.com
A strong commitment from the sector
"Despite these difficulties, growers are pulling out all the stops to restore their production facilities, repairing damaged structures and putting plastic tarps back in place. Teams are hard at work to secure the facilities as quickly as possible. The aim is to limit the losses and ensure that strawberries meet the quality standards right from the start of the season."
For more information:
Hugo Chevalon
Strawberries and Raspberries of France
[email protected]
