With the recent heat wave driving temperatures to extremities, several regions reported readings around 50°C. This scorching spell has impacted farming in multifaceted ways. While irrigated crops largely avoided direct damage from the heat, the intense conditions demanded more water resources to keep fields in acceptable condition, increasing stress on irrigation systems and markets alike.
As a result, underground wells operated at higher-than-usual capacity. Electricity costs for pumping rose sharply amid the ongoing energy crisis, pushing total production costs higher. Antonio Moreno Soriano, the Minister of Agriculture and Water for the Union of Small Farmers and Farmers in the Murcia Region (UPA), conveyed to La Opinion that this rise in expenses was a reality for farmers, noting that energy use varies with well depth and irrigation demands, averaging about a 35% increase in energy consumption depending on the irrigation community.
Moreno emphasized that all irrigated crops across the region would feel these cost increases to varying degrees. Fruit trees such as melons, watermelons, citrus fruits including lemons, oranges and grapefruits, vegetables like peppers, tomatoes, zucchini, lettuce, broccoli, celery and parsley, and stone fruits such as pears, apples, peaches, nectarines or apricots all face higher operating costs. Yet farmers remain hopeful that the situation will improve as adjustments take hold in the market and policy measures take effect.
The secretary highlighted that the rise in average costs has moderated recently thanks to a gas price cap mechanism, which helps lower electricity bills, although current costs remain higher than last year. This context reflects the perspectives of the UPA Department of Agriculture and Water.
There is notable industry opposition to proposed European Commission changes to the legal framework governing the sustainable use of plant protection products. Farmers and Farmers’ Unions argue that the EC’s preferred approach of regulation over the current directive could impose disproportionate targets that do not align with the realities of state and community farming, especially without robust impact assessments or viable alternatives to prohibited substances in imports from third countries. The unions stress that the pace of such regulatory shifts risks undermining productive capacity without practical remedies.
Consequently, higher costs have translated into higher product prices. Moreno explained that last year the production cost to grow a kilo of fruit was about 71 cents; this year, it has risen to around 80 cents. To prevent losses, growers must price their produce roughly eight to nine cents above the cost. In recent days, watermelons packed into boxes cost producers between 40 and 45 cents per kilo, and some stores sold the fruit to consumers at approximately 2 euros per kilo. These dynamics demonstrate how input costs cascade into consumer prices, shaping market behavior across the region.
There is a renewed push to promote the sector in international markets. The Development Institute (INFO), in collaboration with the Murcia, Cartagena and Lorca Chambers of Commerce, has prioritized exporting initiatives as part of the Foreign Incentive Plan. The Agrofood Exporta Plan represents 13 of 31 actions designed to boost global presence. After a challenging period for regional exporters, activity and market diversity have rebounded to near pre-pandemic levels. Valle Miguelez, spokesperson for Business, Employment, Universities and Internationalization, announced that approximately 7 million euros have been allocated to internationalization activities, reinforcing the region’s outward-facing strategy.
Farm workers have urged the community to implement measures that help moderate costs and stabilize prices, seeking support to ease the financial pressures faced by the agricultural sector. The UPA Secretary of Agriculture and Water underscored the need for targeted relief and practical, timely interventions.
They will not cut harvests
Even with higher production costs and limited water, the farmers connected to the Tajo-Segura transfer project aim to maintain existing harvest levels. Moreno noted that the crops currently being cultivated reflect a defined approach to farming, market dynamics, and export patterns that leave little room for crop loss without significant consequences for regular customers.
Bed bug infestation
Regional agricultural associations have raised alarms about an unmanaged spread of bed bugs affecting more than 30,000 hectares of almond trees in the Altiplano. To address the issue ahead of the next harvest, farm workers are coordinating with the Department of Agriculture to implement more effective treatments. Testing with Imida is being considered to evaluate the best products, along with investigating known outbreaks such as the so-called tiger plague, so that researchers can pinpoint optimal treatment windows and movement patterns. These efforts aim to guide practical, field-ready interventions.
Rain reduces production
On the other hand, March and April rainfall reduced yields in many Murcia crops. Moreno explained that wetter conditions complicated the placement of citrus and slowed the development of stone fruits, resulting in an approximate 30% drop in regional production compared with the previous year. Prolonged rainfall also hindered pollination, diminishing honey yields, and high humidity affected the almond harvest and caused fungal issues across many trees. Melon and watermelon fields suffered with significant rot observed in numerous plots, underscoring the delicate balance between rainfall, disease pressure, and harvest outcomes.