Since last Sunday, heavy storms with abundant and continuous rainfall have hit various parts of eastern Spain, bringing the harvesting of some crops like citrus fruits and leafy vegetables to a halt.
In the north of Almeria, the waterlogging caused by the rain that fell between Sunday afternoon and early Tuesday morning, and the hailstorm in San Juan de Los Terreros, has had a significant impact on leafy vegetable crops, especially in the towns of Pulpí and Cuevas de Almanzora, which produce a lot of lettuce.
Sprouts, mini Romaine lettuce, and spinach are the crops that will have it harder to recover.
"In the case of iceberg lettuce, the impact isn't as severe, as it's still possible to remove the damaged outer leaves, and even if the product's size is reduced, it can be saved commercially, and there won't be a significant reduction in the number of pieces," says Primaflor Sales and Marketing Director Carlos Olmos.
"However, in the case of the mini Romaine, the damage is significant because it has reached the core, so supply will be significantly reduced. As for sprouts, the acreage affected is significant because these crops are more sensitive to such adversities. Therefore, prospects point to a shortage of these for pre-prepared convenience food products," says Olmos.
The rains have happened at a time of high demand, right during the Christmas season, when big supply programs are closed with chains all over Europe.
Over the next few days, scarring treatments will be applied to promote crop recovery, and it is hoped that the stable weather will allow field work to be resumed and a normal planning of the next plantations.
