On Tuesday afternoon, a hailstorm was recorded in Vegas Altas del Guadiana, in the Spanish region of Extremadura, which took a toll on various crops in the towns of Don Benito and Villanueva de la Serena, among other municipalities. In these areas, some nectarine and plum orchards have been affected, most of which were in the flower thinning phase.
"Several plots of land have been affected by the hailstorm, which has covered a large area, although only a few specific locations appear to have suffered damages," said Miguel Ángel Gómez, Managing Director of the Fruit Growers Association of Extremadura, AFRUEX. "We are still evaluating the impact of the storm in the affected areas. The hail was small in size and had a lesser or greater impact depending on the area."
"At a general level within the region, the impact is not significant," said José María Naranjo, from the company Tany Nature. "We are more concerned about the impact that excess rainfall could have on the quality of the fruit, which is why we'll have to invest and pay close attention to the health of stone fruit crops in the field."
