The area of artichokes affected reaches 400 hectares between Lorca, Totana and Alhama de Murcia, while the cold forces to delay the thinning of fruit trees in Vega Alta, while waiting to calculate the final balance in extra-early flowering
The episode of cold that has been experienced in the last two weeks is beginning to take an increasing toll on crops in the Region of Murcia, particularly horticultural products in the Guadalentín region. Because three nights have already accumulated in which temperatures drop below 0 degrees, especially during the early hours of Tuesday, where the thermometers marked up to 3 degrees below zero.
According to the president of Coag-Iniciativa Rural de Alhama de Murcia, José Manuel Ruiz, “vegetables would be suffering in a special way.” In fact, the area affected by this crop “is estimated to reach 400 hectares,” the representative of the agricultural union qualifies. In addition to the artichoke, damage is taking place in the lettuce plantations, Ruiz asserts, recalling that “the plants are currently dehydrated due to lack of rain and the little irrigation they would currently receive,” he affirms.
Other damaged products are broccoli and cauliflower. And Ruiz points out that in addition to the fact that “the current production is low, if we add that the cold delays the plantings, it will make all the production come out in a single collection, since this type of vegetable has been planted every 15 days so that merchandise exists every month.” In addition, he recalls that not all farmers have agricultural insurance that covers the harvest due to cold damage, with the exception of the artichoke, which in this case usually does have the corresponding agricultural insurance.
With regard to the extra-early fruit trees of the Guadalentín Valley, they would also be suffering their first damage. The Paraguayan and peach plantations began to timidly show the flowers of the fruits, flowers that are beginning to suffer the consequences of the frost. This type of fruit trees usually gives its harvests during the months of April and May.
However, the cold temperatures are also good for other types of crops, such as table grape vines. In this case, Ruiz points out that this type of plantation “needs cold, and now it would be good for them.” In the case of citrus, from the agrarian union they point out that “at the moment the plantations are not being planted, since in the areas where these crops are found, the temperatures have not dropped so much.”
Now the farmers of the Guadalentín Valley “are waiting to see the evolution of the temperatures, since if the frosts continue in the coming days, the losses will worsen even more,” concludes Ruiz.
The forecasts of the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) indicate that the frosts will continue in the interior, although they will lose intensity. Even so, for this Tuesday’s day, a minimum of -3 and a maximum of 16 are expected in Caravaca de la Cruz; 2 minimum and 17 maximum in Lorca; -2 minimum and 15 maximum in Yecla; 5 degrees minimum temperature and 16 maximum in Cartagena; and 1 minimum and 19 maximum in the city of Murcia.
For their part, the farmers of Vega Alta regret that the minimum temperatures recorded these days are causing them to still not be able to begin the work of thinning the stone fruit trees in flower, “which is having an impact on hundreds of of day laborers from the regions are not yet working,” said Antonio Moreno, Secretary of Agriculture of UPA Murcia.
Frosts have been affecting large growing areas of Cieza, Calasparra, and other parts of Vega Alta for almost ten consecutive days, to the point of causing the loss of at least 40% of the flowering of the extra early varieties of nectarine and peach.
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