For years, agriculture has faced headwinds. Recently, the long-standing issue of low prices for traditional crops has collided with stiffer competition from abroad, higher production costs, and weather-related damages that have hurt yields. Against this backdrop, some Alicante farmers have explored exotic, lesser-known crops to boost farm profitability. Pitahaya, desert truffles, and paulownia are among the crops considered, with vermicompost production sometimes added as a fertilizer option.
Nearly all agricultural news has been discouraging lately. Prices often don’t cover the cost of production, and inflation, rising energy costs, water scarcity, and pricier fertilizers and phytosanitary products have compounded the challenge. The season brought further crops-specific hurdles, yet some growers have adapted rather than resigned, experimenting with new crops to improve returns on their land.
citrus fruits, long a staple of the region, faced market saturation due to imports from South Africa and Turkey, pushing prices down. Harsh weather also reduced harvests of olives, almonds, cherries, and medlars. Even artichokes, once highly profitable, saw quality and market opportunities affected by heat at the start of the campaign. Yet recent weeks have brought some relief as temperatures cooled.
What can be done in light of this challenging landscape? Some farmers are choosing to take control, venturing into new crops rather than yielding to pressure, with the goal of increasing land profitability.
This is the case for José Bernal, owner of a desert truffle farm in Pilar de la Horadada. The desert truffle, linked to African and Middle Eastern strains now cultivated in the Murcia region and spreading to Alicante, is valued for its distinct aroma and flavor, even if it doesn’t reach the same price level as the black truffle. Restaurants are increasingly incorporating it into dishes as a more affordable alternative.
Bernal notes that desert truffles require roughly two and a half years to mature underground. The production potential is about 400 kilos per hectare for dedicated crops, with plans to eventually double that.
Another advantage is its low water requirement, a critical consideration amid regional water-use concerns. Drip irrigation is used to apply water only when needed, a practice Bernal highlights as essential for efficiency.
The weight of these truffles can range from 20 to 60 euros, and in some regions where demand is high, such as the Persian Gulf, prices can reach around 220 euros. Bernal acknowledges that this is their first farm, and while the outcome remains to be seen, confidence in positive results persists.
Rigoberto Pascual is exploring another innovative path with a paulownia farm in Cocentaina. This tropical-origin tree yields wood highly valued in carpentry for its straight grain and lack of knots, and it grows rapidly enough to support profitability within five years. Pascual currently manages 1,200 trees, having based plantings on successful experiences elsewhere in Spain. He notes the wood’s use for exterior windows due to its stability and durability. Although current prices are not as strong as at the outset, he remains hopeful about future returns.
Toni Puig, a Callosa d’en Sarrià farmer and Asaja representative, has long focused on vegetables and olives. A few years ago he introduced avocado, and more recently he added pitahaya, a Central American cactus that yields a delicious fruit. “We did a test to see how it worked,” he explains. The region’s climate—hot with good humidity—resembles the fruit’s native environment, and harvests can begin in about two years, offering a quick payoff compared with some traditional crops.
Agriculture in the province is facing its most challenging year yet, with losses exceeding 200 million euros. Yet the portfolio of experiments continues. Puig has also branched into worm casting production, a form of earthworm excrement used as a potent fertilizer for plants, highlighting the broader trend of soil-focused innovations in the area.
Beyond these innovations, other traditional crops have seen recovery. Carob, cultivated by Puig and Bernal, previously fetched modest prices, but its growing use in pharmaceutical, confectionery, ice cream, and even glue industries has driven up demand and price, underscoring how market diversification can stabilize farming viability.