Almost overnight, severe frosts have hit the Vega Baja area which has affected the production and quality of the artichokes crops. Coupled with the recent droughts, these are worrying times for the growers. Rtn Newspaper reported that the area in the Camp d’Elx has been the worst affected. It said a decision was taken to begin harvesting the artichokes right now to avoid future losses, although this will affect both the quality and the price.
Artichokes are also grown in large numbers in Orihuela and Dolores but, for the moment, haven’t as yet been affected by the freezing overnight temperatures. The local fruit trees haven’t been affected either so far because, as the farmers point out, low temperatures actually benefit them.
The artichokes that mainly were affected are those at the ‘mature’ and ‘almost ready to pick’ stages that were exposed to temperatures as low as minus 5º C in the early hours of Sunday morning.
