The interruption in the transfer reduced the winter vegetable production by 12 thousand tons.

The new hydrological plan of the Tagus River, which has received Government approval by 2027, defines ecological flows in this river for the first time, which will translate into a significant disruption to the water discharged into the Segura basin. For this reason, In addition to the restrictions already in place this year, at least 10 cubic meters of water supply to the state is expected to be halted next year.. However, the decrease will increase in the following years, increasing from the 60 hectares to which it is entitled to only 30 hectares. Since the Alicante region has an area of ​​125 cubic meters per year at the start of the transfer, this will be a new deduction to add to what has already been completed in past times.

So the results of this policy of cutbacks will already be felt in the next winter vegetable campaign, which will see a drastic reduction, especially in Vega Baja. José Vicente Andreu, president of Asaja Alicante states: Planting areas will decrease by around 30 percentBecause “farmers are afraid of running out of water and drying up their crops,” he explains.

The reduction will affect crops like broccoli, cauliflower and salad, but above all it will affect the artichokes., the most emblematic vegetable in the region and the vegetable that offers the best economic return. “We are talking about a real disaster because the alternatives available to us, such as desalinated water, are expensive and of dubious quality,” Andreu says.

Antonio Ángel Hurtado, president of the Vega Baja Artichoke Association, expresses himself in similar terms. It is estimated that cultivation can be stopped in approximately 500 hectares of land.This will turn into approximately 10,000 tons of artichokes. “There’s a lot of uncertainty about the water that could come in the next campaign, so people aren’t taking risks and are planting less,” he emphasizes.

This was a heavy blow to the industry, which was only just recovering from the production levels lost by the Dana disaster that ravaged the region and devastated the fields in 2019.

As if that weren’t enough, Hurtado talks about the adverse weather conditions they have had to face in recent months, including the lack of rain and strong temperatures. “If the situation continues,” he warns most likely will have to resort to drilling drying wellsand this is something that can have negative effects on crops because it is water with too much salinity that affects quality”.

In principle the situation at Camp d’Elx is not so delicatewhere vegetables also have an important presence. According to Pedro Valero, the producer and representative of Asaja in the region, “Riegos de Levante is currently in service and leftovers from Hondo can be used, but it’s true that there are concerns among farmers, and those concerns are much higher. It’s likely that something will be cut off on the plantation, because ultimately they can’t quite see what might happen». Also the value points out that the problems faced by the sector will grow like an avalanche. “Water cuts, costs… everything is uncertain,” he complains.

Moreover, since this happens in a campaign where good prices are expected, the economic losses will be huge.