Greenhouse vegetables remain resilient but flooding across thousands of hectares in Spain raise concerns over lettuce and citrus
Spanish greenhouse vegetable supplies have remained resilient following heavy rainfall and localised flooding caused by Storm Adam, but concerns are growing over damage to open-field vegetables and citrus crops across parts of Almería, Murcia and Valencia.
According to Spanish agricultural organisations, the storm has affected approximately 8,000 hectares in Valencia, caused extensive damage to vegetable crops in Murcia and flooded around 4,000 hectares in Almería.
Nationwide España, which exports fresh produce from its base in Almería to the UK, Ireland and parts of Northern Europe, reported a reassuring initial outlook for greenhouse-grown peppers, cucumbers and aubergines.
It said windy conditions following the rainfall have helped greenhouses to dry out.
While some water entered the company’s warehouse in El Ejido, it confirmed the site remained operational with no significant disruption to the scheduled haulage or supply programmes.
However, the company said saturated fields could delay new lettuce planting, potentially affecting later-season availability. No shortages have been confirmed at present.
Diego, sales and procurement manager at Nationwide España, said: “Lettuce supply is holding up across the programmes we are monitoring, but planting needs to continue regularly to maintain volumes later in the season. We are talking to growers now so we can spot any potential gaps early and help customers plan ahead.”
Some growers plant every two days to maintain continuous supply, so repeated delays could reduce harvest volumes in six to eight weeks, the company stated.
According to sources from agricultural insurance system Agroseguro, open-field vegetable crops in the Campo de Cartagena area in Murcia and the El Ejido zone in Almería are expected to be the most severely affected by the torrential rain.
Alfonso Gálvez, secretary general of Asaja Murcia, said persistent rainfall in Cartagena, Mazarrón, and Águilas has caused significant damage, including the overflowing of dry riverbeds and the washing away of drip irrigation lines.
Citrus damage raises further supply concerns
The impact on fruit crops in eastern Spain is also under assessment, with severe weather and travel restrictions affecting citrus harvesting and packhouse activity in southern Valencia and northern Alicante.
Nationwide España stated: “Stocks harvested ahead of the rainfall are helping companies continue packing, but oranges, clementines and kaki are the main products being monitored. Lemons appear less directly affected so far.”
According to agricultural organisation AVA-Asaja, Navelina oranges in particular are believed to be among the worst affected crops in Valencia, with flooded plots at risk of fungal issues affecting the fruit, as well as root asphyxiation.
The organisation said the extent of the damage will depend on how long the farmland remains underwater before it can be drained.
Eva, sales and procurement manager at Nationwide España, said: “For fruit, the full impact is not always visible immediately. Some packhouses are working with fruit already harvested, but we will know more about quality and availability as growers return to the orchards.”
As access to orchards improves, growers will be able to assess potential losses from fruit splitting, skin damage and decay associated with excess moisture.
The company added that citrus sourced from the Seville area potentially able to help offset some disruption.
