The heavy rain storm in Terres de l'Ebre, in the south of the Spanish province of Tarragona, has already passed without causing any serious incidents. The heaviest rains were mainly recorded in Ulldecona, with 125 liters per square meter over the course of the day, and in Alcanar, where around 45 liters per square meter fell in just half an hour.
This area has a significant citrus fruit production and at this time the harvest season was already underway for the Clemenules, the most important variety in terms of volume.
"Despite the shocking images, citrus orchards have not been flooded, as the soil's characteristics in these areas allow for water to drain quickly," says Jaume González, director of Viveros Alcanar, which is specialized in the production and supply of citrus seedlings.
"The direct impact on citrus plantations has been limited, but the quality of the ripest early varieties will be affected. The same can be said about part of the Clemenules production. This is the most significant variety, and its harvest, which was due to start less than 15 days ago, has been constantly interrupted by the rains. The excess of humidity in the last two weeks may cause alterations in the fruit's skin or even rotting, especially if temperatures rise," says Jaume González.
"The more professionalized sales companies will be better able to prevent quality problems when storing and packing the fruit, but other small growers with fewer resources, faced with the pressure of the demand, could end up dealing with complaints at destination," says the head of this nursery in Alcanar.
It is worth recalling that the Clemenules production was already expected to fall in the 2024/2025 season following last season's great volumes. The impact of the rains on quality could lead to a significant reduction of the usable production of this popular clementine variety in Spain.