The persistent drought in Spain is causing serious issues supplying water for domestic use and to key sectors such as agriculture and livestock.
In agriculture, water scarcity jeopardizes the yields of key crops such as tomatoes. Last month, Las Nieves Cooperative in Seville planted its second crop of tomatoes, which should be harvested between September and October. However, due to the drought, the cooperative only planted 50% of the usual area with tomatoes. In the other half of the area, it opted to grow zucchini and cucumbers, which require less water, as a precautionary measure.
Despite currently having sufficient water reserves for about three months, the cooperative faces great uncertainty about the future. The lack of rainfall could lead to a significant reduction in the tomato harvest. At best, the cooperative hopes to harvest half of the 4 million kilos it usually harvests.
This situation affects producers and has implications for Spanish consumers. The decrease in domestic tomato production could lead to a rise in prices and the need to import more foreign produce, which may not meet the same hygiene and quality standards as the domestic product.
Source: elconfidencialdigital.com