The Unió Llauradora estimates the direct impact on agricultural production from the episodes of adverse weather recorded between August 10 and 15 at more than 10 million euros, which have mainly affected the regions of Utiel-Requena and the Vall d'Albaida, in the province of Valencia, and Alto Palancia, in Castellón. The damaged area as a whole already exceeds 10,000 hectares.
According to the first analyses by the agricultural organization, the losses are more precisely estimated at 10,107,837.72 euros and affect 10,058.90 hectares. However, La Unió emphasizes that this is an initial assessment that will need to be revised as more detailed information becomes available regarding the actual extent of the damage to the farms.
Utiel-Requena, the most affected area
The region of Utiel-Requena currently concentrates the majority of the damaged area, with about 7,389 hectares and an economic loss exceeding 5 million euros (5,059,483 euros). The damages are mainly located in the municipalities of San Antonio de Requena and Utiel, as a result of hail, and in Sinarcas, where the storm also caused serious damage to the crops.
In Utiel-Requena, the vineyard is the crop with the greatest economic impact, with losses valued at 3,944,448 euros. In San Antonio de Requena, an impact of about 2,000 hectares of vineyard is estimated, while in Utiel the damaged area would reach about 2,109 hectares of vineyard. In both municipalities, damage to other woody crops has also been detected.
La Unió estimates the affected almond area at about 2,312 hectares, with a loss close to 555,000 euros, and about 711 hectares of olive grove, with damages nearing 470,000 euros. In Sinarcas, in addition, the storm has affected the cereal pending harvest, whose delay is due to the restrictions imposed this year to prevent fires.
In this municipality, a damaged area of about 257 hectares is estimated, with losses around 91,000 euros. To these effects are added those caused by the hailstorm last week in the Vall d'Albaida, which particularly affected the municipalities of Otos, la Pobla del Duc, Quatretonda, Benigànim, Llutxent, Benicolet, and Pinet, all located in the eastern part of the region, with damages over 2,176.70 hectares and a direct economic impact exceeding 3.5 million euros (3,597,843.00 euros).
Severe damage to persimmons, citrus, and olive groves
By crops, the persimmon is the most affected in the Vall d'Albaida, with 397 hectares damaged and losses estimated at 2.11 million euros. Next are the citrus fruits, with 728.70 hectares affected and 958,848 euros in losses, while the olive grove totals 1,051 hectares damaged and an estimated economic impact of 520,245 euros.
The fall of hail at this time is particularly harmful because crops such as grapes, citrus fruits, or persimmons already have the harvest set and are in advanced phases of their production cycle. The impacts of the stones can cause the immediate drop of the fruit or generate wounds and external damage that devalue it to the point of making it unsellable, even if it remains on the tree or plant.
Affectation in Alto Palancia and request for aid
To these losses are added those caused by the disaster in Alto Palancia, specifically in the municipalities of Bejís and Torás, where La Unió places the damaged area at 493 hectares of almond and olive trees and direct losses of 1,450,512 euros. In this region, the olive grove concentrates the majority of the economic damage, with 237 hectares affected and almost 990,000 euros in damages, while in almonds, 256 hectares are estimated to be damaged and losses of 460,800 euros.
The agricultural organization emphasizes that these figures only reflect the direct losses on production and do not include other possible damages to the trees, the plants themselves, the infrastructures of the farms, or the consequences that these phenomena may have on the productive capacity of the plantations in upcoming campaigns.
In light of this scenario, La Unió demands from the Ministry of Agriculture an "urgent" and "detailed" assessment of the damages in all affected areas and the implementation of support measures for farmers with significant losses, as well as fiscal, financial, and any other initiatives that facilitate the productive recovery of the farms.
In the case of insured farms, the organization also requests the utmost speed in the assessments by Agroseguro, so that farmers know as soon as possible the compensations that correspond to them and payments are not delayed. La Unió also reiterates the need to "adapt and strengthen" agricultural insurance instruments "in the face of a climatic reality in which extreme episodes have an increasing impact on the profitability and viability of professional farms in the Comunitat Valenciana."