Experts have been warning of this for many years, but the consequences of climate change are starting to emerge fully and have repercussions in the economic field. An example of this is what is happening in agriculture, a sector particularly vulnerable to the effects of global warming, as evidenced by the losses in certain crops. And the paradigm is represented by the province of Alicante, a region where drought, high temperatures and disruptions to water supplies have put symbolic and protected crops such as medlar, artichokes, cherries, grape bags and mole bombs on the ropes. It’s a loss of legacy that goes even further, as it’s nothing more than agri-food sovereignty.
There has been hardly a single drop since the beginning of the year, and temperatures are well above normal, sometimes reaching suffocating levels for crops accustomed to a milder climate. As if that weren’t enough, the scourge of the climate crisis prompted the Government to decide to cut off the Tajo-Segura transfer, which supplies water to the area considered Europe’s orchard between Andalusia, Murcia and Alicante. It is estimated that water resources will be cut in half by 2027, which means up to 100 hectares less, or up to 30 percent in the case of the province of Alicante. The consequences of this disruption, which has alarmed affected sectors, could be devastating, with 27,000 hectares of irrigated acres and close to 6,000 job losses in this latter region, and an estimated 40% reduction in agri-food exports.
But beyond the numbers are the faces and eyes of the victims. Alicante is a province particularly rich in high-quality fruit and vegetable production, as evidenced by the different conservation figures. And all of them are already suffering from the terrible effects of the sum of these adverse factors. Prestige protected and recognized throughout Europe by a protected designation of origin, starting with the medlars from Callosa d’en Sarrià. According to Juan Vicente Espasa, head of the organizing committee, the heat caused the campaign to be pushed forward by almost a month and again the caliber was lower than normal due to the drought. The result was a 20% drop in production, which left it around eight million pounds.
Rainwater is the best
“Because we are fed by the Algar river and we still have reserves, we have had no problems with irrigation for those who have the privilege. The downside is that there is nothing like rainwater, because it is the water that trees absorb best,” he emphasizes. The perspective is now focused on what might happen next year, as Espasa warns, “If things keep up the same in terms of rain, we may indeed find ourselves with restrictions.”
Protected by another denomination, the Vinalopó bagged grape, farmers are also starting to suffer, a product that can be found on every table in the country as a coincident with the New Year’s bells. Council chairman José Bernabeu points out that producers are nervous as the harvest, which is usually around 40,000 tons, depends on whether it rains in the coming weeks. First of all, there is an even more significant decrease in the reserves of aquifers used for irrigation, which leads to salinization of the soil, which adversely affects the vineyards. “This will only be resolved with plenty of rainwater, and we don’t see that anywhere right now,” he complains. There is also concern in the medium term, as in the case of the medlar, he adds, as “overuse leads to resorting to transferred water, which will come in less and less.”
For its part, the mole pomegranate from Elche, also protected by the definition of origin, saw a 30% drop in production last year, leaving it at just 30,000 kilos, in a state with all the indications of ‘to be produced’. again in the current campaign. Quality manager Sylvia Queijas points out that for now, flowering has been pushed forward by two months as a result of the heat, a phenomenon that makes the level of fruit set unknown. It will all depend on whether there is enough water for irrigation in midsummer, when temperatures are even higher than present, because otherwise, “trees can stop vegetation, shedding both fruit and leaves.” Emphasizes Queijas. And there the announcements of the transfer cutoff sound like stone, because “it is unknown whether the resources will be available.”
five disastrous years
Another sector that has had a hard time is cherries from Mount Alicante, protected by a protected geographical indication and greatly appreciated in community markets, resulting in disastrous harvests for five years. The head of the organizing committee, Hilario Calabuig, points out that severe heat and drought will lose 90% of production in rain-fed areas, particularly in the Marina Alta and El Comtat regions, leaving the total harvest. about three million kilos.
A project is currently being worked on to reuse water from a nearby treatment plant in the municipality of Muro for irrigation. This would be a very viable solution to alleviate the condition of trees during times of drought like the current one. “The downside to Calabuig is that this is an early stage venture and we don’t know when we might have it,” he says.
The appearance of the artichoke from Vega Baja, which has the mark of quality, is not rosy either, as it is a product directly affected by the cuts in the Tajo-Segura transfer. Antonio Ángel Hurtado, president of the association that brings the farmers together, states that although the prices were good this year, there was a decrease of around 30 percent in production and they could not exceed this decrease. “The temperatures cooked the plants,” he stresses, agreeing with those responsible for other crops that “rainwater cannot be replaced by irrigation, it doesn’t have the same positive effects.”
In any case, the problem is that if the central government’s transfer plans are finally successful, even water supplies for irrigation will not be guaranteed. According to Hurtado, “it may be possible to activate the drying wells, but these have high salinity.” On the other hand, some of the proposed alternatives, such as desalination of seawater, do not convince farmers because “it is too expensive and a mixture with treated water would be necessary”.
But these crops are just the tip of the iceberg of a situation that affects almost all crops in the province, and in an environment where farmers are faced with rising costs due to rising production costs. the cost of fertilizers and phytosanitary products. José Vicente Andreu, president of the Alicante Young Farmers Association (Asaja), does not hide his concern about what is happening. In his words, “dry crops are under-harvesting.” “We found that with the coming of summer, orange and lemon trees can eventually die if there is not enough water for irrigation. Vegetables can’t be planted if necessary, so the outlook is nothing short of encouraging,” he adds. And he continues that all this could lead to a loss of agri-food sovereignty, making it necessary to import possibly lower quality and more expensive produce from elsewhere. He underlines that “continue the transfer because otherwise it would be a very heavy blow to agriculture”.
more research
Carles Peris, general secretary of La Unió, says in similar terms: “The rising temperatures and the lack of rain are making production increasingly difficult as the crops are not Prepared for this hot environment. And the solution is not easy considering that such episodes will be repeated gradually more often. “The way out – he says – can only come from research by developing more resistant varieties. What happened is that this has not been achieved from today to tomorrow, so there is a great deal of concern.
Regarding the lack of water resources and the announced reduction in transfer, Peris advocates maintaining existing flows “to protect existing fields”, as well as betting on reuse and treatment, provided prices are affordable for farmers. ” he adds.
There are several programs to certify the quality of agricultural products. The difference between a protected sign of origin and a protected geographical indication is that in the first case all the stages of production, conversion and preparation must be carried out in the designated geographical area, in the second case only one is required. These processes take place in that region. As regards quality marks, they are seals whose purpose is to offer manufacturers, processors and transformers the opportunity to differentiate their commercial offerings and to present consumer products with a special guaranteed qualitative identification.
Climate change not only affects agriculture but also causes serious problems for livestock. They warn Asaja that drought and high temperatures are leaving animals without pasture, forcing farmers to buy feed, which in an inflationary scenario results in rising costs and running out of profit margins. Beekeepers also face serious problems due to the significant decrease in flowering in the spring season and the decrease in the bee population and therefore honey production.