Both in the southeast of the Iberian Peninsula and in the Balearic Islands, heavy rainfall, hail storms and strong gusts of wind have put nine Spanish autonomous regions on alert.
El Ejido has been one of the worst hit by this storm, which has caused severe damage to more than 4,000 hectares of greenhouses, precisely in the area that accounts for the most greenhouses in Almeria. In addition to the loss of cucumber, zucchini and eggplant crops, among others, a direct loss of more than 20% of the pepper crops is expected, since El Ejido is one of the largest producers of this crop.
"Never before had we seen so much hail, and of such a size, as large as fists," says José Antonio Baños, President of the Ejidomar cooperative, which produces around 20,000 tons of peppers annually, out of the 45,000 tons that make up its full range of products.
"El Ejido accounts for most of the greenhouse acreage in the province of Almeria, especially of peppers, for which losses are estimated at more than 20%, on top of the 10% losses we were already suffering due to the impact of thrips," says the representative of this organization, who says that other crops such as cucumber, zucchini and eggplant, have also been affected. "The volume losses are going to be reflected in the markets and there will be a lot of second class produce."
"In addition to all the urban infrastructure, with cars wrecked, to a greater or lesser extent, there are many hectares of greenhouses affected, with the plastic pierced and the crops exposed to hail, while other greenhouses have completely collapsed. There has been severe material damage. Moreover, there is not enough manpower to repair the greenhouses immediately and we are in the middle of the season. Many growers will now have to repair their greenhouses and plant again. It is a disaster," says the president of Ejidomar.
For more information:
José Antonio Baños
Ejidomar
El Ejido, Almería, Spain
Tel.: +34 950483511
[email protected]
www.ejidomar.es