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Drought will cause crop failures in Spain, farmers warn

MADRID (AP) — Drought now affects 60% of the Spanish countryside, with crops like wheat and barely in four regions likely to fail entirely, the main Spanish farmers association said on Thursday.
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FILE - View of the dry Sau reservoir about 100 km (62 miles) north of Barcelona. Spain, March 20, 2023. The main Spanish farmers association on Thursday, April 13 says drought now affects 60% of the Spanish countryside and is causing “irreversible losses” to more than 3.5 million hectares of crops, with some regions writing off wheat and barley for this year entirely, the main Spanish farmers association says. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti, file)

MADRID (AP) — Drought now affects 60% of the Spanish countryside, with crops like wheat and barely in four regions likely to fail entirely, the main Spanish farmers association said on Thursday.

Spain’s long-term drought is causing “irreversible losses” to more than 3.5 million hectares of crops, the Coordinator of Farmers and Ranchers Organizations said in a new report, with wheat and barley in four major growing regions was “written off,” and badly affected in three more.

Drought now affects 60% of the Spanish countryside and is causing “irreversible losses” to more than 3.5 million hectares of crops, with some regions writing off wheat and barley for this year entirely, the main Spanish farmers association says.

Olives and nuts are experiencing problems due to Spain’s long-term drought, which is also affecting farmers’ ability to irrigate corn, sunflowers, rice and cotton.

Wheat and barley are expected to fail in four major growing regions and are badly affected in three more, the Coordinator of Farmers and Ranchers Organizations says in a new report.

Olives and nuts are experiencing problems due to Spain’s long-term drought, which is also affecting farmers’ ability to irrigate corn, sunflowers, rice and cotton.

Drought now affects 60% of the Spanish countryside, with crops like wheat and barely in four regions likely to fail entirely, the main Spanish farmers’ association said on Thursday.

Spain’s long-term drought is causing “irreversible losses” to more than 3.5 million hectares of crops, the Coordinator of Farmers and Ranchers Organizations said in a new report, with wheat and barley in four major growing regions was “written off,” and badly affected in three more.

Nuts and vineyards were struggling and olives will be badly affected in rain does not arrive in the next few weeks, the report added. The drought was also affecting farmers’ ability to irrigate corn, sunflowers, rice and cotton, likely leading to reduced sowing of these crops over the summer, it added.

The Associated Press