The recent DANA has left a trail of destruction in greenhouse crops in several areas of the province of Almería, especially in El Ejido Norte, Santa María del Águila, Las Norias de Daza, and Dalias. According to the report by the Department of Agricultural and Fisheries Information of the Junta de Andalucía, the hail and winds caused significant damage to thousands of hectares, puncturing the plastic cover of greenhouses, causing some structures to collapse, and affecting pepper and cucumber crops.
In Almeria, tomato greenhouses that were planted in July are in full harvest. Peppers and cucumber crops that were planted later are showing good fruit set and vegetative development. Producers are also harvesting zucchini and aubergines, staking crops, and providing the crops with products to stimulate fruit curdling.
In Cadiz, particularly in Costa Noroeste and Sanlúcar de Barrameda, 3-4 hectares of greenhouses were damaged by a tornado that affected pear tomato, and zucchini crops, among others.
Pear tomato greenhouses are yielding 115 tons/hectare. Zucchini is produced throughout the whole year via staggered plantings and yields stand at 80-90 t/ha. Cucumber greenhouses have harvested 80-90 t/ha. Some black watermelon greenhouses have had yields of 100-110 t/ha.
The provinces of Granada and Huelva are also facing challenges. In Granada, greenhouse producers are harvesting cherry tomatoes and Italian peppers, while in Huelva the strawberry season has been hampered by a lack of labor and inclement weather, which has led to the suspension of plantings in several areas. The Torrox-El Morche region in Malaga continues with the cherry tomato campaign, adjusting planting densities to optimize yields.
Source: aenverde.es