Despite the floods caused by the recent storms, and despite the fact that there are still many flooded areas, the president of the Artichoke of Spain association, Antonio Galindo, reports that producers in the Spanish Levant hope for the "recovery of many plants which had been recently planted." However, the consortium will not have specific data on the actual losses until next week.
For now, Galindo estimates that 50% of the crops in the Vega Baja del Segura and Campo de Cartagena have suffered damages, with productions that are now "deep in mud," while others, such as those of the Vega Alta, "have benefited" from last week's rainfall.
María del Carmen Hernández, quality technician of the Alicante-based firm Hortofrutícola 3 Puentes, said that the artichoke fields in the municipality of Dolores "are still flooded, with rows with up to a meter of water. When all the water is removed, we will know how many plants have been lost," she said, after warning that "the longer the artichoke fields remain flooded, the more likely they are to rot."
The manager of the Torre Pacheco-based company Soltir, Ángel García, confirmed that "artichoke crops in the areas of Campo de Cartagena and San Javier have not been as damaged as those in the Vega Baja del Segura."
Garcia believes that the heavy rains recorded last week have damaged "between 20 and 25% of the artichoke fields. The good thing about artichokes is that they can stand water; in fact, unlike in the case of lettuce, the leafs benefit from it, provided that the rain does not uproot the plant."
Source: Efeagro / agrodiario.com
