You would have to go back more than two decades to find a harvest season as ruined as the one now ending in Alicante. Record heat paired with persistent drought led to a dramatic production shortfall, with losses totaling 14,000 tons. That figure accounts for about 90 percent of the harvest and means economic damages approach five million euros.
Climate change is unleashing harsh effects across the Alicante countryside, and grains alongside sunflowers have not escaped the impact. Ricardo Ferri, spokesperson for the sector within Asaja Alicante, emphasizes that every variable seemed unfriendly to the crop from the start. He explains that the drought struck at planting time for the grain, so by the time the rains finally arrived in May, much of the crop had already dried out. The additional heat provided a final, relentless burden. (Asaja Alicante, 2024)
Sunflower planting shifted to June, a delay of nearly two months from the usual April or May window that relies on spring rains. This postponement disrupted the typical growth cycle and contributed to the cascading losses that followed.
The campaign ended in a catastrophe. Roughly 13,000 tons of grain were lost, representing a financial burden near four million euros. Sunflowers added another thousand euros to the tally, pushing total damages toward five million. Prices for sunflowers had already surged last season due to the Ukraine conflict, but this year they tumbled from about 700 euros per ton to around 300 euros. Ferri notes that the domestic trade managed to regain enough activity to influence prices again, yet the overall effect remained negative for farmers. (Asaja Alicante, 2024)
Ferri highlights that the harvest shrinkage was so severe that many fields were never harvested at all, simply because harvesting would have generated more losses than any reasonable return. (Asaja Alicante, 2024)
Beyond the climate toll, most farms lack adequate insurance. Ferri explains that coverage was minimal and the conditions were extremely challenging, meaning many producers will not receive compensation for the damage. (Asaja Alicante, 2024)
Sunflower planting increased by 30 percent due to rising prices in the province
There is broad agreement with the assessments from La Unión Llauradora and Asaja that this campaign has been disastrous. On many farms the yield is so low that harvesting is barely worthwhile, as the cost of collecting can exceed the value of the crop by a wide margin. (Asaja Alicante, 2024)
The agricultural organizations warn that drought relief alone cannot offset large-scale losses. They urge policymakers to implement measures that protect farmers in the most vulnerable regions, including subsidies for agricultural insurance and yield-adjustment schemes. They also advocate for protective measures against non germination per plot and call on the new Ministry of Agriculture to consider this harsh season in future policy. (Asaja Alicante, 2024)
Damage from wildlife attacks on fields
In addition to weather-driven hardship, farmers face escalating damage from wildlife. Ferri, who farms near the l’Alcoià mountains, notes that wild boars and mouflons from nearby areas have increasingly encroached on fields over the last three years. He laments that the animals eat almost everything, to the point that some plots could not be planted again because little could be harvested and the investment would be wasted. (Asaja Alicante, 2024)
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