According to the Federation of Agricultural Cooperatives of the Region of Murcia (Fecoam), the heavy rains have caused damages to apricot crops that range between 15 and 20 million euro.
Juan Pedro Martinez, Fecoam's representative of the apricot sector, said the effects of the latest rainfall, compounded with the previous inclement weather, had been disastrous for the crops.
“First, we faced a very strong heat of more than 38 degrees and then we were affected by the DANA, a cut-off low that has swept the Region of Murcia ruining the crops and fruits.”
Juan Pascual Lopez, the president of the Cobuco cooperative, lamented that the apricot harvest in the Northwest area has been lost for the second consecutive year. "It's a chaotic and worrying situation because apricot is a social crop. Many people depend on this crop and this situation has caused a great economic hardship. Overnight, producers discovered they had no harvest to pick.”
Fecoam cooperatives have asked the Ministry of Agriculture and the regional government to increase the budget destined to promote and encourage the contracting of the cooperators' insurance. In addition, they have asked the Autonomous Administration for aid to mitigate the fixed costs of cooperatives.
Source: europapress.es