Extreme heat in Spain hits olive, avocado harvest

The La Vinuela reservoir is the most important water storage facility in the southern Spanish province of Malaga. But following months without rain and an unparalleled heat wave, the reservoir, which is normally 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) long and 100 meters deep, has only 12% of its former water volume.

Local farmers describe the situation as dramatic. They are now allowed to use only a small fraction of the water they once redirected to their fields. Europe’s largest avocado-growing area is located in the vicinity of the reservoir. The avocados grown here are also shipped abroad, including to German supermarkets. Without enough water, the harvest is expected to be poor.

Trees fall victim

More and more avocado trees are drying out; the soil is covered with withered fruits. As a last resort, farmers are being forced to uproot some trees so as not to lose the whole harvest. Many farmers were about to quit as they could no longer live off their plantations. People think that no water could be available at all if it doesn’t rain soon and the reservoir fills up again. When water gets scarce, priority is given to the households located in the reservoir’s catchment area.

Olive farmers affected, too

The whole agriculture sector is affected by the worst drought in years. Millions of olives are drying up across Andalusia; oranges, lemons and tangerines are meeting the same fate in the Valencia region. In northern Spain, wine growers are fighting an uphill battle to rescue some of their fruits by resorting to harvesting prematurely.

There’s no quick fix in sight. Meteorologists from the AEMET weather service predict there will be no rain before October. And the situation is unlikely to change in the years ahead. Farmers will have to reckon with drastic harvest losses. Spanish olive oil producers for instance expect their harvests to be cut by half this year alone. This will drive up prices in Europe even more.

Agriculture wasting water?

Environmental campaigners have singled out agriculture as Spain’s biggest water squanderer. In many fields, outdated overhead sprinkling systems are still in use. Between 70% and 80% of Spain’s drinking water trickles away on arable land across the nation.

Hellenicshippingnews.com