Around 60 hectares of greenhouses have been destroyed in Almeria, the centre of the protected horticulture industry in Spain, with another 400 hectares of land flooded after freak storms struck the region on 19 January.
Many of the greenhouses in the area are of polythene construction, and those in the areas of El Ejido, La Mojonera, and Roquetas de Mar were particularly badly affected. All three areas are focused on vegetable production. “It’s a major loss, both in terms of crops with campaigns in full swing, and in terms of infrastructure. Hail has been especially harmful to peppers and courgettes, although this is an area with a lot of production and thus many crops are affected,” said José Antonio Moreno, secretary of a local producer organisation.
In total Almeria is home to just over half of Spain’s protected cropping, with some 38,000 ha of greenhouses.