ARCHIVED - Prices of some food crops increasing due to shortages caused by Storm Filomena

Storm Filomena caused 8.4 million euros worth of damage to crops in Murcia Region

Prices of lettuce, broccoli, courgettes, peppers and aubergines are all increasing due to supply shortages

Although the Region of Murcia missed the worst of Storm Filomena, there was still significant damage caused to leaf crops, particularly in the “Alto Guadalentín” area which suffered damage totalling 5.8 million euros, and the Cartagena Mar Menor area which lost around 1.3 million euros worth of crops.

The municipalities most affected by the drop in temperatures were Lorca, Cartagena, Torre Pacheco and San Javier.

The extreme low temperatures caused the loss of around 20% of crops in neighbouring Almería and Granada, which were much colder than Murcia, in which produce grown inside protective greenhousing was also damaged by the freezing temperatures, mainly affecting courgettes, aubergines and peppers.
Here in the Region of Murcia the principal casualties were artichokes with an area of around 4,400 hectares damaged, followed by lettuces with 1,200 hectares, and some broccoli was also frozen.

Although the artichokes have been “burnt” and blackened by the frost and their external leaves damaged, some of them are still saleable for factory processing.

This has created shortages in the supply market, and has added to the problems caused in other crop production areas which have been much worse affected, leading to price increases in most of these items.

Those accustomed to bargain lettuces and broccoli may be disappointed this spring (apart from limp defrosted broccoli at the market which still makes excellent soup but is unsuitable for export sale) as exporters are struggling to find enough stock of some items to fulfill their supermarket pre-orders and the likelihood of shortages and price increases at the final point of sale has increased because of the cold weather situation; those who remember the problems which occurred in the UK last time there was a patch of bad weather in Spain may remember the price of courgettes soaring to seven pounds sterling a kilo and shoppers arguing over iceberg lettuces; daily paper The Sun even accused Murcian agriculturalists of hoarding lettuces for the domestic market and not sending them to the UK!

Although Murcia produces some 430,500 tons of lettuce every year, with 16,000
hectares dedicated to lettuce production in the Campo de Cartagena and Guadalentín Valley, there may still be some shortages, as the cold has also provoked a “pause” in the development of crops already planted.

Crops that are normally harvested 80 days after planting may now require up to 20 further days to reach maturity affecting, the whole planting cycle planned in order to meet forward orders; and also increasing the final price to be paid by consumers.

In general, the agricultural sector was happy with the rainfall and the colder weather in the north and north-west of the Murcia region, which benefits the grape vines, almonds olives and stone fruit crops, the cold holding them back so that the plants can rest before bursting into spring blossom; for the last two years the spring “Floración” has been far too early due to the warm winters.