2023-04-21 02:18:51
A pandemic, the war in Ukraine, skyrocketing inflation and now the drought. The agri-food sector has spent several years walking on the fine line that separates survival from ruin. Now, the lack of rain is its most dangerous enemy and also that of consumers. According to a situation report carried out by COAG, The drought already suffocates 60% of the Spanish countryside and produces irreversible losses in more than 3.5 million hectares of dryland cereals. Many harvests will not be able to go ahead, which will plunge the supply and impact prices, just now that they were beginning to fall. However, the Secretary General for Agriculture and Food, Fernando Miranda, believes that it will be necessary to analyze the effects of the drought product by product and, for its part, the sector considers that “a new increase in prices in supermarkets would not be justified with the excuse of the drought”.
The situation in the Spanish countryside has only gotten worse. If a few weeks ago the future of many crops was still in doubt, now the conclusion is clear: they will not succeed. Andrés Góngora, a member of the COAG executive, warns of the bleak outlook facing the sector. With the exception of northern Spain, there is no rain forecast for the rest of the territories. This will not only affect the crops that should be harvested now, but will also prevent summer sowing. “It is a serious problem. The sector stops”newspaper.
Cereals, fruits, vegetables, legumes… Almost all crops suffer
Cereal crops (wheat and barley) are practically considered lost in Andalusia, Extremadura, Castilla-La Mancha and Murcia and in the most arid areas of Aragon, Catalonia and Castilla y León. Woody crops like dried fruit or rainfed vineyards They have also had serious sprouting problems and the situation of the olive grove It can get complicated if there is no rainfall in the coming weeks. In fact, Góngora assumes that the dry fruits grown in Murcia, Almería, Granada and Jaén are going to be lost, although some late varieties could be saved.
In irrigation, the restrictions in the provision of water are also of concern. “The concessions are being given dropper. In the entire Guadalquivir Confederation, only 12% of the usual irrigation can be carried out. It is very little water. The harvests are going to be well below normal because it has not been possible to irrigate as much as possible“, explains Andrés Góngora. This situation is hitting especially the citrus and stone fruits such as peaches, nectarines, apricots and cherries.
In addition, horticultural crops and summer crops such as broccoli, cauliflower, tomato, carrots, watermelons and melons will certainly decrease among others, and many farmers will also choose to reduce the acreage of corn, sunflower, rice and cotton. The legumes They are also in a critical situation. But the risks to crops are not just limited to spring and summer. The trees already need irrigation to be able to have production in the next campaign and winter crops such as beets, garlic and onions are in danger.
Livestock and beekeeping, others affected
Extensive livestock farming, mainly sheep and goats, is another big hit by the drought. If it does not rain, there are no pastures to feed the animals and this forces farmers to have to resort to buying feed and fodder to maintain their animals. In addition, since this feed is made with cereals and in Spain they are not growing, there is no other choice but to import it, which triggers its price. For example, alfalfa, which is the most widely used fodder in intensive farming, already costs 40 cents per kilo, triple the normal price. Consequently, “many cattle are already being slaughtered”Gongora explains.
A very similar situation is the one experienced by the beekeepers. The Lack of vegetation and flowering in the mountains prevents bees from feeding and producing honey. And with this, it would be the third campaign without a harvest for these professionals.
Will the prices go up?
The question that all consumers ask themselves is: will this reduction in production be linked to an increase in prices? The agri-food sector prefers not to venture into making predictions, but hopes that consumers do not experience new increases. “We do not decide the prices that are set in supermarkets”, points out the member of the COAG executive. Góngora explains that prices have already risen these months anticipating the current situation and due to the increase in imports of products that are in short supply in Spain, such as legumes. Thus, Andrés Góngora considers that “it would not be justified for prices to rise again with the excuse of the drought.” For his part, the Secretary General for Agriculture and Food, Fernando Miranda, acknowledges that the drought introduces great uncertainty in the evolution of prices, but believes that we will have to see what happens product by product.
#foods #affected #drought #price #agricultural #sector #clarifies