HE agriculture sector Region of Murcia prepares the artillery to consolidate its position in international markets for the autumn and winter fruit and vegetable campaign. However, the situation lack of water raises doubts for the next hydrological year (changes every 30 September). waterers Cartagena area Its president, Manuel Martínez, says they will end this cycle “very fair” after the last throes of summer productions. “There is real uncertainty about what could happen,” and that fear stems from the reserves currently at the head of the Tagus and how rain will behave in that area in the coming months.
HE Ministry of Ecological Transition During the last three months, it has cut off 15 hectares of water for irrigation via Diversion. The drought situation in the Segura basin is exacerbated by the lack of precipitation, and although large amounts of rain fell in May, the discharges were cut with caution. «Campo de Cartagena’s irrigation machinery accounts for 1.8 hm3 per month of the country’s final cut shipments. Transfer. However, it currently gives us one week for irrigation, and if we add in the contributions we get from the Torrevieja desalination plant, the margin goes up to two weeks”, explains Martínez. He emphasizes that the water coming from the treatment plants is not enough.
The uncertainty facing the winter campaign causing many farmers to seek farmland in other regions such as Andalusia., where they can have some water guarantee ». Almería, Seville or Huelva are regions where companies transfer some of their production to secure supply. “If they find a 100-hectare farm in those areas and they can use 30 of that, then they’ll add just as many in our area so they can design the next campaign.”
These manufacturers They must henceforth make a commitment to their European customers to have a supply available for foreign supermarkets that matches those in other years.. “Losing a customer means that it is very difficult to recover them later. If there is no water, sowing is not done. They seek life as much as they can ». The future campaign is therefore presented as “complicated if god doesn’t fix it”. It talks about the head of both Tagus and Segura.
And this the rainy May have made it possible to close the annual hydrological cycle with guaranteed water suppliesUnderlines Antonio Moreno, secretary general of UPA Murcia: “Through the rains we have saved water when it comes to irrigation, but they have not allowed the reserves to grow.” Doubts can be cleared depending on what rains in both Segura and Tagus in autumn. The first crops to be harvested in October are already being planted, but most will arrive in September.
seek stability
Ask for General Manager Fernando Gómez pre-export, employers do not see growth in horticultural production in the Region. “There are limitations due to irrigable lands and water availability, and as there is currently not very happy demand”, leading to the maintenance of “prudence” across all crops. “You have to give the customer a lot of security,” he stresses, “we had a climatic roller coaster last season and we want to clear customers’ doubts.” One of the key points in closing international deals will be the external promotion of the regional primary sector and “guaranteeing supply at different stages of the campaign” on European shelves. If trust continues, we will “close supply contracts as normal.”
In the campaign last winter, the aggressive trade policy of some British supermarkets resulted in shortages of some supermarkets. fruits and vegetables, but impossible to sign, not because there is no quantity to be exported from the Region, but because “the marketing path led to increasing contracts during the campaign”. Now Gómez believes that the British country will learn from its mistakes and better export to these lands.
melon
melon and watermelon These are an example of what the climatic fluctuations in recent months mean. Spring rains and hail devastated the crops of these fruits, especially watermelon, in the Guadalentín Valley and in the highlands of Lorca, but high temperatures caused many flowers in the fields to fall, according to the details of the UPA Murcia secretary. a common problem reaching other regions such as Castile la Mancha.
“The yield per decare was not what we wanted.” The manager of Proexport underlines the “disastrous situation” left by the hail, but emphasizes that in these weeks of August, production in the highlands of the Region has “returned to normal” with cooler nights and therefore less need for irrigation. “Production is currently doing very well in terms of size and sweet taste, and we expect consumption to skyrocket with the heatwave these days.” But, Due to the very wet weather in Europe these fruits were not so enthusiastic, something that prevents the purchase of these products.
The last crops of summer will go to the national market
Alan goes through these weeks change process. While farmers collect the final produce of the summer campaign, the majority prepare the soil for horticultural production that will supply national and international markets during the winter months. Remains of broccoli or lettuce crops are now concentrated in the higher reaches of the Region. Jumilla and Yecla, even Hellínwhere regional companies also work.
“There are months to work on the seed beds to prepare the soil, let them rest and then replant,” says Fernando Gómez, managing director of Proexport. Outdoor pepper planting ends this week due to no permits.Ministry of Agriculture Extension of permit for the exceptional use of a soil disinfectant, allowing these producers to extend the harvest of this vegetable through August.
“By having to further solarization of the soil, the collection was reduced by two kilos per square meter,” says Gómez, a process in which fertilizer is applied to the soil and covered with a layer of plastic for two months to solarize the soil. and leave it clean Murcian pepper It faced fierce competition from the Dutch this year, a “crop of products on the international market” that resulted in a “much lower price” for vegetables grown on these soils. However, the qualities and quantities of regional production were “sufficient”. On the other hand, agriculture hydroponic pepper in greenhouse, A more residual type of production will continue all month long. Both vegetables that have not yet been harvested and tomatoes from the Mazarrón greenhouse, for example, will go into the national trade while awaiting a recovery in European production for the winter. “The bulk part will come from September.”