The Extremaduran agricultural organization UPA-UCE has described the cherry campaign as "mediocre in terms of both production and prices." The organization has pointed out that the main reason is "that the Administration has refused to adapt agricultural insurances to the needs of the producers." The UPA-UCE explained that "in addition to adverse weather conditions, the campaign has been marked by a shortage of labour." The organization has lamented this "combination of factors, which has taken a negative toll on the economic heart of the north of Caceres."
The Union of Small Producers and Livestock Farmers of Extremadura, UPA-UCE Extremadura, has assured that this cherry campaign will not be remembered as a good one by the growers. The UPA-UCE has explained that a "fatal combination of negative factors has resulted in a mediocre campaign," and warned that "this situation is especially worrisome due to the fact that a large part of the population makes a living from this sector and won't receive any type of economic support from the administrations."
The UPA-UCE has pointed out that the main problem "is a useless agricultural insurance," as denounced by the organization on numerous occasions. "We have been demanding that the Administration adapt the insurance to the needs of the field, but they won't listen," they pointed out. They added that the insurance "should be adapted to the characteristics of the farms in the region, which have longer planting schedules and higher tree yields than those established by Agroseguro, and that this would prevent yield review procedures."
Also, the organization has demanded for the insurance "to adapt to the small sizes of the plots with a reduction of the minimum compensatable volume, as the one we have now, in addition to being expensive, does not cover the needs and damages suffered as a result of inclement weather." The UPA-UCE has concluded that the current insurance "is tailored for large farms and this harms the small plots that are so characteristic of the Jerte Valley."
Rain, hail
The organization has pointed out that "changing the insurance is urgent, since cherry crops are especially sensitive to the weather." The UPA-UCE said that "the development of the campaign is the best example of this," as rain and hail at the end of May "ruined the hopes of a great campaign." The organization has stated that "the consequence was a loss of quality of the fruits, with the consequent economic loss for the producers."
At the same time, the high temperatures also contributed to a reduction of the calibre of the fruits, as well as to the ripening of much of the harvest in a reduced period of time, "the reason why the market became saturated and prices fell." Because of this, "a part of the production was not harvested, since it was economically unfeasible for the producers," lamented the UPA-UCE.
Source: eldiario.es
