Truffle growers from Teruel are concerned about the effects that the lack of rainfall this summer will have on their crops. “We are very concerned and rightly so,” stated Rafael Doñate, vice president of the Association of Truffle Growers from Teruel (Atruter). "We had no rain for three months this summer. That's too long for the open field crops and it will surely affect them. We estimate that we could lose up to 50% of the crop due to the lack of rainfall between June and September, a period of time in which water is vital for the truffle's growth," he stated.
However, producers will only be able to accurately assess the damage that the lack of rainfall during the summer months and the high temperatures recorded in the province had on the crop in about two weeks when the harvest begins.
The forecasts are more favorable for the fields with irrigation systems. However, a decrease in their harvest hasn't been ruled out. According to the vice president of Atruter, these plots' irrigation system is fed by water from natural wells that have also suffered from a lack of rainfall. In many cases, truffle growers bring water to their fields in tanks. However, they were harder to fill this summer.
"We are sure that this will be an atypical harvest," Doñate stressed. Truffle growers regret the possible drop in production in a year in which the price of fuel has risen and the expenses in the field have multiplied. In fact, Doñate said, many producers have reduced irrigation with well water because they were unable to bear the cost of pumping.
Source: heraldo.es