Cherries, DANA and Drought: Alicante’s Agricultural Battle in a Shifting Climate

Aemet retakes risk due to heavy rains in l’Alcoià, Alto Vinalopó and Marina Alta

The Valencian Community continues to grapple with shifting weather conditions that have shaped agricultural outcomes this season. DANA, the atmospheric phenomenon currently affecting the region, brought relief to many forested areas and crops in Alicante after an exceptionally hot and dry winter and spring. Yet the delayed water for grain and a sudden cold spell created a double-edged scenario for local farming, especially for the cherry harvest. In fact, producers report that this year’s crop has largely collapsed due to drought conditions extending over the past five months. The cherries of Mount Alicante are among those most affected.

The province faces higher production costs and uneven risk management as regional farmers confront reduced or uninsurable yields. The Protected Geographical Indication Regulatory Board notes that small holdings, often operating at a fraction of a hectare, must cut insured production by up to half, despite the same insurance costs as in normal years. Five campaigns in a row without harvests have strained rural livelihoods in the Valley d’Ebo, underscoring a growing vulnerability in the sector.

These developments come as the region faces 175 liters per square meter of rainfall in a single episode, triggering floods and road disruptions across Alicante. This climate pattern has complicated harvest planning, with heavy rains cracking cherries on the trees and leaving many unharvested. José Vicente Andreu, head of the agricultural group ASAJA Alicante, expresses concern that the situation only deepens what he calls an unsustainable trajectory for Alicante’s cherry production (ASAJA Alicante, 2024).

Villena, in Alto Vinalopó, has seen the rains complicate picking, while the recent downpours have accelerated fruit drop. Local producers warn that the extra moisture, combined with earlier drought stress, could impact overall yield and quality for the season, reinforcing the need for robust risk management and targeted relief (ASAJA Alicante, 2024).

Villena cherry gains muscle with a million pounds of production

Despite the challenges, the region is witnessing a degree of resilience. The latest activity signals a potential rebound for Villena’s cherry sector, backed by intensified production efforts and strategic support from industry groups. This is a turning point, as growers seek to stabilize incomes and preserve long-term viability in a climate that has grown increasingly erratic (ASAJA Alicante, 2024).

Help for economic recovery

ASAJA Alicante is urging authorities to implement an immediate, ad hoc hotline for cherry growers. The aim is to ensure the crop’s sustainability and trigger rapid economic recovery for this emblematic product. The plan also calls for insurance reforms tailored to the region’s characteristics and for measures that encourage rural settlement in traditional cultivation zones that have faced recurrent disasters in recent years. The association pledges to convene cherry producers with the Regulatory Board and regional administrations as soon as governments are established after elections, to craft an emergency plan that safeguards this key regional crop (ASAJA Alicante, 2024).

“The cherry campaign is going very well, the flowering is going well”

Asaja Alicante is monitoring rainfall patterns that arrived like “water in May” for rural Alicante, bringing a glimmer of relief for vegetables, citrus, and almonds. Yet the rainfall arrived too late for grain crops like wheat, barley, and oats, and the first quarter was one of the driest on record in central and southern parts of the province. In l’Alcoià, harvests in many cases have already been lost, with estimates suggesting up to 90% reduction for some cereal crops. Despite recent rainfall, the early-season damage remains substantial (ASAJA Alicante, 2024).

The olive groves are also at a critical stage, with technicians expressing concern that excessive water could disrupt the ecosystem. The bloom currently signals optimism for some crops, yet the overall risk remains high as conditions evolve. In Elche and Crevillent, stone fruit growers report a 15% loss in surface area due to weather stress, threatening the region’s broader agricultural mosaic (ASAJA Alicante, 2024).

Cherry producers are bracing for a campaign with a 25% harvest discount in some subregions, a trend officials label as a “political drought.” They argue that persistent policy decisions, rather than purely climatic factors, are shaping losses as much as weather does. The call is for stable, proactive planning and investments in rainwater containment and dam construction to shield the sector from future shocks (ASAJA Alicante, 2024).

La Vega Baja will be hit by initial restrictions for irrigation due to drought in July

Climatic drought often passes with rain, but political decisions can slow recovery. ASAJA Alicante president José Vicente Andreu frames the situation as a long-term drain on the agricultural sector as reservoirs in the Vinalopó and Segura basins fill slowly. The emphasis is on balancing water management with agricultural needs to prevent ongoing hardship for growers (ASAJA Alicante, 2024).

Aemet retakes risk due to heavy rains in l’Alcoià, Alto Vinalopó and Marina Alta

Recent rainfall records highlight the scale of the event. In Ontinyent, 156 liters per square meter were recorded; in Agres 138 liters; in Muro de Alcoy 121; in Beneixama 103; and in Vallada-Serra Grossa 97. Other gauges reported 154 liters in Agres, 174 in Muro, and 155 in l’Orxa, with several observatories exceeding 140 l/m2 on specific days. The persistent cloud front continued to drain, leaving a mixed outcome across municipalities and challenging farming schedules (Aemet records, 2024).

These measurements underscore the volatility of the current season and the ongoing impact of heavy rainfall on farming plans, harvest timing, and soil conditions across Alicante’s agricultural belt.