"We'll still be able to meet the essential orders, but there's a lot of uncertainty about quality"

From mid-February to the end of April is traditionally the most important period for open-ground vegetable production in the Region of Murcia and the north of Almeria, the main suppliers of these products to European markets. This year, however, rainstorms and squalls have taken a toll on the prospects when it comes to volumes and quality.

Rains have had an impact on the sector in the entire Region of Murcia, but the Guadalentín Valley has borne the brunt, especially Lorca, Totana, and La Hoya, where there are still hundreds of hectares of vegetables flooded and there have even been some landslides.

"I don't remember ever having seen such a long period of intermittent rainfall," says Jesús Abenza, managing director of the Lorca-based cooperative Alimer. "We've been getting used to the fact that the little rain that falls in Murcia is recorded within just a few weeks."

"In the most affected areas, there have been direct losses of crops such as broccoli, cauliflower, and leafy vegetables, which represent around 30% of the production in the Guadalentín Valley," says Abenza.

In other growing areas, we'll see the impact of the losses in the next few days with a drop in yields and quality problems. "We had expected strong vegetable sales in March, but the excessive rainfall has taken a toll on the production and its quality. We'll need to properly manage the quality of both the produce we already have available and that which is on its way, as there is a lot of uncertainty in the sector," says Abenza.

Growers are keeping a close eye on the weather forecasts, with more rain expected over the next few days. "It's not over yet. More rains are expected, and while they shouldn't be as heavy, they will still be damaging, because everything's already too wet," he says.

"Faced with the difficulties in harvesting, we in the sector have worked very hard to be able to meet the demand, although we haven't been able to obtain the expected quantities. There is still tension in the market due to the low harvesting capacity and prices will probably rise in the next few days. It's not a comfortable situation to be in, but I don't think there is going to be a production gap, because we'll still be able to meet the essential orders so that our clients can continue to have produce on their shelves," says Alimer's Managing Director.

Although the melon and watermelon planting was still in its initial stages in Murcia, the rainstorm is expected to cause significant delays and it will likely not be possible to plant all the area that had been initially planned.