“Producers in Malaga believe that they've lost a third of their subtropical crops due to two consecutive years of drought,” stated Enrique Colilles, the president of the recently established Avocado and Mango Inter-branch Organization.
"Mango production decreased by 80% this season, as less than 8 million tons of mangoes were harvested this year, far below the 40 million tons of previous years. Avocado production fell by 50% and stood at around 30 million, "he said. “The economic damage could be devastating for thousands of households.”
"The Axarquía region, with 3,000 hectares of mangoes and 10,000 hectares of avocados, urgently needs instruments and resources to guarantee the maintenance of these crops. We need regenerated water. The projects now underway will allow us to guarantee 25% of our irrigation needs, far from the 90% that this solution covers in the region of Murcia," he said.
The fundamental thing is "that we receive suitable water. It should not be too salty -as is often the case now- because that also dries out the crops."
Source: cadenaser.com