A hailstorm in Spain devastated the stone fruit crops. According to Fresh Plaza, the hailstorm hit the Spanish Region of Murcia in early May. Yéchar in the Vega Media del Segura was one of the worst hit.
What's happening?
"We have lost all our citrus and stone fruit," Viveros Bombonfruit manager Jesús García said. "We have even needed to cut down 30,000 trees because the wood was rotten."
He added, "We won't be able to produce stone fruit in Yéchar again at least until 2027."
Warming temperatures are also affecting the crops, particularly apricot trees. Some 40% of these trees have been uprooted. They require cold winters to rest, but the winters have gotten warmer and continue to do so. Without the rest period, they can't produce fruit.
"Peaches, nectarines, and flat peaches tolerate the lack of cold well, but apricots are more sensitive," García said.
Why is crop loss due to weather concerning?
All of these weather conditions are contributing to increased fruit prices. On the other hand, when fruit is imported from Turkey, it drives prices down because it's cheaper to produce there.
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While cheaper costs are good for consumers, it's not good for the farmers who produce the fruit and whose livelihoods depend on that money.
Changing weather conditions, including warming temperatures, are not just affecting crops in Spain; they're also threatening the global food supply. Even potato farmers in Pennsylvania are struggling. The crop requires cool nights, but the farmers haven't had many of those.
Polluting gases cause the planet to warm, and reliance on dirty energy that produces these gases contributes to this warming.
What's being done about crop losses?
Society must decrease its reliance on industries that produce polluting gases to prevent further devastation to the global food supply.
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More tax incentives 🏦 "Everything is accelerating, and winter is getting warmer. We have to get ready for the changes that are coming," García said.
Crop losses as a result of changing weather patterns are a complex problem. It underscores the importance of exploring critical climate issues to gain a better understanding of how to combat them.
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