Spanish farmers call for financial aid amid “catastrophic” crop losses after flash floods

Devastated farmers in Spain are calling for support measures from the government as flash floods in Valencia have swamped crop fields, leading to “catastrophic losses” in the agricultural sector. Amid ongoing clear up operations, the Valencian Farmers Association (AVA-ASAJA) warns that thousands of hectares of citrus, persimmons, vegetables, vines and other crops will lose their harvest this season.

The association also predicts “irreparable problems” if flooding persists, as high humidity might lead to permanent loss of some plantations.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) reported the Valencia region as the “worst affected” by the flood, with many places receiving more than 300 l/m². On October 29/30, its Chiva municipality received 491 l/m² rain in just eight hours — the equivalent of a year’s worth of rainfall, according to AEMET, Spain’s meteorological agency.

Valencia’s crops also suffered last year from hail storms, which damaged 14,973ha of crops ready to be harvested, leading to an estimated damage worth £33 million (US$42.7 million).

Loss of harvest

The regions damaged the most by the floods include La Ribera Alta and Baixa, L’Horta, Hoya de Buñol, Utiel-Requena, Camp de Túria and Los Serranos, which the AVA-ASAJA says recorded “historic accumulations of water” due to intense rainfall and overflowing rivers.

“In the inland regions, the force of the water uprooted thousands of vines and other crops that, on the other hand, had just gone through one of the driest hydrological years in history, which had caused the death of plantations due to water shortage.”

The farmers warn that citrus, persimmon and vegetable farms will perish if they remain flooded for extended periods. The harvest of mandarins, oranges and persimmons (which were in the process of being harvested) from the most affected fields will be lost, according to the association.

Rural roads and agricultural infrastructure, such as ditches, walls, banks, drip irrigation, warehouses, tool sheds, irrigation wells, greenhouses, agricultural and livestock machinery and buildings, also suffered serious damage.

Besides crops, livestock management might also suffer, warns AVA-ASAJA. Farmers will face “serious problems” with feeding and watering the animals and immediate removal of animal carcasses would be necessary to reduce public health problems.

Climate change to blame?

A destructive weather system locally called Depresión Aislada en Niveles Altos (DANA) is believed to be behind the floods, says the AVA-ASAJA. According to experts, the phenomenon is marked by cold and warm air meeting to create strong rain clouds, which is becoming more prevalent due to climate change.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says extreme weather events have raised the severity and likelihood of floods and droughts due to anthropogenic climate change.

WMO secretary-general Celeste Saulo explains that rising temperatures have accelerated the hydrological cycle and made it “more erratic and unpredictable,” leading to either too much or too little water. “A warmer atmosphere holds more moisture, which is conducive to heavy rainfall,” he adds.

According to Hayley Fowler, professor of climate change impacts and director of the Centre for Climate and Environmental Resilience, Newcastle University in the UK, the floods in Valencia are “yet another wake-up call that our climate is changing rapidly and that our infrastructure is not designed to deal with these levels of flooding.”

She expects these storms to become even more intense in the future, causing more flooding as temperatures continue to rise globally. Fowler stresses the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions “as quickly as possible” to reduce the risks from such events.

Spain was the world’s highest exporter of oranges (fresh or dried) globally in 2023, according to the World Integrated Trade Solution.

Spanish crop losses are expected to impact exports to countries like the UK, where, according to British government figures, Spain’s fruit and vegetables are among the top five imported goods. Fruits and vegetables accounted for 11.3% of the total goods imported during Q2 2024.

Nearly 32% of the UK’s fruit and vegetable imports, including tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, lettuce, broccoli and citrus fruit, come from Spain.

Agri-food sector reacts

The DANA has severely impacted the cultivation of kaki or persimmon in Valencia, especially in the areas with the highest production, according to the Spanish Kaki Association. Based on initial estimates, losses have exceeded 70% of the crop in various areas.

The association has urged public administrations to implement measures to support the affected farmers immediately.

“We request direct aid, tax relief and a specific recovery plan for kaki producers, a crop that has become an economic and cultural pillar of the Valencian region. We also call for a firm commitment from the authorities to improve drainage and protection infrastructures in agricultural areas to mitigate the impact of extreme weather events, which are increasingly frequent due to climate change.”

AVA-ASAJA is also calling for administrations to “approve support measures for affected farmers and ranchers.”

Once the DANA subsides and producers can access their farms, AVA-ASAJA says it will quantify the direct and indirect losses of the Valencian agricultural sector, which are expected to be “devastating.”

EU support

Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is seeking support from the EU to help the country deal with the aftermath of what he calls “the most serious flooding that our continent has seen so far this century.”

“We are in communication with the European Commission and have begun the procedures to request aid from the European Solidarity Fund and the use of other community support resources from the European Union,” Sánchez said at a news conference in Madrid.