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Date Published: 05/06/2023

47 million euros: Murcia assesses the storm damage from the last few days

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The regional government estimates farmers’ losses from the storms at 47 million and the area affected at 7,755 hectares

47 million euros: Murcia assesses the storm damage from the last few days

The damage caused to crops and farms by the storms over the last few weeks in the Region of Murcia, where the average amount of rainfall has exceeded 100 litres per half square metre, amounts, in the Regional Government’s first estimate, to more than 47 million euros.

This is according to the acting Regional Minister for Water, Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, Antonio Luengo, who made the announcement during his visit to the fields of Bullas, whose crops were affected by the storms.

Luengo explained that the total area affected throughout the Region is around 7,755 hectares, including 2,480 hectares damaged in the Altiplano area. The most damaged crops, in terms of product value, are apricot, cherry and watermelon, with estimated losses of around 16 million euros.

In terms of tonnes of produce, watermelon was most affected, with losses exceeding 26,000 tonnes; apricot, with around 16,000 tonnes; peach and lemon, in both cases exceeding 6,500 tonnes.

In the North West region, the damage amounts to around 16.6 million euros and the most affected crop is apricot, covering an area of 2,026 hectares and weighing in at 15,470 tonnes.

The acting Regional Minister specified, “This is a first assessment, but there will be more losses as a result of the damage caused to the plants and trees, as well as to infrastructures, which will affect future production.”

Antonio Luengo recalled that the regional government has requested a meeting with the national Minister of Agriculture to address the situation generated by the storms with torrential rains and hail that have damaged crops in much of the Region, and has requested the declaration of a disaster area for areas affected by heavy rainfall.

At the same time, he said that currently farmers are not insured against such episodes of torrential rain and insisted that the reform of agricultural insurance in Spain “is urgent, as has become clear in situations like the one we have experienced.”

Image: CARM

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