Drought in Spain 'suffocating’ 80% of country’s farmland

By Alyssa McMurtry

​​​​​​​OVIEDO, Spain (AA) – Spain’s largest agricultural union released a report on Thursday warning about the crippling effect of the ongoing drought on the country’s massive agricultural sector.

The COAG Union said that the drought is “suffocating” 80% of Spanish farmland and has already led to the “irreversible loss” of more than 5 million hectares (12.3 million acres) of grain crops.

The union said all the wheat and rye crops in eight Spanish regions have been virtually lost due to the lack of rainfall.

It also warned that fruit trees in Andalusia, Murcia, Valencia, and Catalonia are on the brink, as water restrictions “seriously threaten the viability of the trees so that many farmers will have to uproot them.”

The report identifies Andalusia, in the south, as the region most severely hit, with the main hydraulic system only 25.7% full – a decrease of 10.8% compared to this time last year when the drought had already set in.

This means that the region’s rice cultivation, with produces around 320,000 tons per year, is set to practically vanish. The area’s cotton production, along with its vegetable crops, are also expected to be severely impacted.

Andalusia’s iconic olive trees are also in an “extremely critical condition,” with forecasts suggesting that harvests in some areas may only reach 20% of the usual yield. Water-intensive almond trees are in even worse shape.

Across the country, extensive livestock farmers are finding it increasingly difficult to sustain their operations as grazing pastures dry up. Consequently, the union anticipates a steep rise in the price of animal feed yet again.

Beekeepers are also facing a dire situation due to the lack of vegetation and flowering plants, which significantly hamper bees’ honey production. This is the third consecutive year that the sector is set to be unprofitable, leading many professionals to abandon their enterprises.

On Thursday, Spain’s ministers convened an emergency meeting to discuss the country’s severe drought conditions.

Spain is the fourth largest agricultural producer in the EU, cultivating around 23.2 million hectares of farmland, according to 2019 data from Spain’s agricultural ministry.