The frosts of the past 4th and 5th of December have caused damages in the cultivation of the persimmon that, according to the first estimations of the Valencian Association of Farmers (AVA-ASAJA), ascend to the 10 million euros. From the agrarian union, a message of tranquility is sent when emphasizing that the greater part of the surface of the cultivation is insured, reason why the producers will be compensated.
The sharp drop in temperatures recorded during the last few days has translated during the early hours of December 4th and 5th in a series of intense frosts that have caused some damage to the persimmon crop. The producing areas of the region of La Ribera are those that have been most affected by this climatic incidence and in a first provisional estimate, AVA-ASAJA considers that the losses caused by the cold in the Valencian production of persimmon oscillate around the 10 million euros.
President of AVA-ASAJA, Cristóbal Aguado: what is urgent now is that Agroseguro carries out agile and efficient perceptions in the fields
Currently, about 20% of the kaki crop is still pending collection, which is equivalent to about 2,600 hectares. In some farms the degree of affection is 100% of the harvest, while in other areas the level of damage is very variable.
The consequences of the cold in the persimmon, and contrary to what usually happens in other products such as citrus, are very evident to the naked eye, so that the damaged fruits will not have a place in the commercial circuit and will thus avoid the risk of that could negatively affect the prices of that part of the harvest that has not suffered the impact of the frost and that is going to be sold fresh.
Concern about citrus
AVA-ASAJA also points out in relation to the cold wave that many Valencian municipal areas are where temperatures have remained below zero degrees for several hours, a circumstance that has also begun to arouse some concern among citrus farmers, who they fear that their crops may have been affected by the thermal decline to a greater or lesser degree. However, it should be emphasized that in the regions where the frost has been most intense the harvesting of the fruits is already at a very advanced stage and, therefore, has not suffered the negative consequences.
In any case, both the evolution of the fruits and the behavior of the temperatures during the next few days will have to wait to determine the extent of the possible damage. Likewise, also the crops of vegetables that are in phase of production like artichokes or lettuces are suffering the effects of the cold.
On the other hand, the decrease in temperatures is being beneficial for other crops such as fruit trees and rainfed trees, since it provides them with the necessary cold hours during the winter rest period
Source: AVA-ASAJA
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