Chile: Frost ruins 40% of the almond crops

Chile is being affected by an intense cold snap and during the first four days of September the frost decimated the production of almonds and other fruits.

The damage has been worsened by the dryness of the land, as it hardly rained in August. "Many crops have been damaged. Almonds were the worst affected and have already curdled, but there's also much damage to plums and cherries, which are in full bloom," said Jorge Ovalle Madrid, a producer from the region.

The almond season began with their bloom in mid-August, but the frost froze 40% of the fruits. "This damage has been quantified and it is visible. We took all the harvest from the trees and 40% of the almonds were frozen," Ovalle said.

The worst affected regions were the IV, V and VI regions in the central area of the country, which has 90% of Chile's almond production, as well as other fruits, such as plums, peaches, and kiwis. Ovalle is very concerned because 80% or 90% of his production is currently in bloom.

Apart from the intense cold wave, weather conditions are excellent and the skies are clear. "We do not know when this great mass of cold air from the south will end," said the producer.

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