Farmers in Zaragoza, Spain, produced far fewer apricot crops this year due to bad weather conditions.
What’s happening?
Fresh Plaza reported that farmers of stone fruit crops in Zaragoza, Spain, saw significantly reduced crop yields this year due to spring hailstorms.
Although farmers covered some crops with hail mesh — which is now a necessity for farmers in the region — enough crops were left uncovered to affect the overall crop yields.
Franck Secalot, the commercial director of Albice Fruits, told Fresh Plaza: “We expected to produce more than 14 million kilos of fruit this year, but only produced 10 because of the storms.”
Why are reduced crop yields concerning?
Spain isn’t the only country struggling to produce enough crops because of weather events such as hailstorms, drought, and extreme temperatures. Farmers around the globe are experiencing similar issues, resulting in fewer crops being produced everywhere.
If temperatures worldwide continue to rise, extreme weather events, such as heavy rains and hail, will keep increasing, which will only make it more challenging to grow food.
Fewer crops mean less food in grocery stores, resulting in global food scarcity, as well as increased prices on the reduced amount of food available. Besides being exceptionally bad news for consumers, decreased crop yields mean that farmers won’t make as much income as they used to, which could lead to fewer jobs for farmhands and fewer farmers.
Additionally, reduced crop yields due to a changing climate can affect the entire food supply chain and local ecosystems, leading to a variety of issues in the agricultural world.
What’s being done about Spain’s fruit crops?
Secalot explained how the changing climate is forcing farmers to change the ways they’ve traditionally farmed.
Now, most crops are protected with mesh or netting to ward off hail and other extreme weather. Additionally, farmers utilize paraffin lamps and antifreeze towers to keep crops protected from frost.
Technology is also aiding farmers in determining the best times to harvest, as well as helping to measure how much water is in the soil at any given time.
Secalot told Fresh Plaza: “The future of fruit-growing lies in adapting to fewer cold hours, more heat, less water, and more intense storms.”
Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more and waste less, and don’t miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.