Valencia's citrus growers have welcomed the rainfall registered this past weekend "with open arms." They really looked forward to it after two years of severe drought. The Valencian Growers Association (AVA-Asaja) and La Unió have stressed the importance of these rains for the next harvest and for the region's water reserves.
The General Secretary of La Unió, Ramón Mampel, pointed out that the rains "have arrived to the entire Region," also in the inland, where the wetlands and aquifers are located, although in Alicante, where drought is more severe, the rainfall has not been as intense.
"There can always be some minor damage, but it will be sorted," said Mampel, who stated that these rains may be harmful for some clementine batches given the advanced stage of its harvest. Sources from AVA confirmed that, if it continues raining, the citrus skin may be affected.
Regarding damage to infrastructures, the agricultural organisations have not received insurance claims, although some damages may have been registered in a few areas. On the positive side, the rains have helped clean the trees, which were dirty from pests such as whitefly. Both kakis and citrus fruits will also see improvements in terms of calibre and quality.