The hailstorm recorded in the afternoon of last Friday in several municipalities of the county of Segrià, Lleida, has caused damage to a total of 2,720 hectares of crops, as reported on Monday by the director of the Territorial Services of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food in Lleida, Ferran Noguera, who visited the areas affected.
Llardecans, Aitona, Seròs, Massalcoreig, Torrebesses and Sarroca de Lleida are the most affected municipalities. In these towns, most of the damage to sweet fruit crops has affected the trees, as the harvest had almost been completed. 900 hectares have been hit; 400 in Seròs, 350 in Aitona and 150 in Massalcoreig.
As for almonds, whose harvest was half way through, damage has been recorded to 110 hectares.
The Plant Health Service of the DARP has recommended the application of treatments to minimise the risk of the spread of diseases in the plantations affected, and to ensure the good healing of the trees. The Department of Agriculture has reminded the municipalities hit by the storm to carry out a coordinated monitoring of the damage and to work together to expedite the aid to the affected farms.
Also, another storm accompanied by hail was recorded on Sunday afternoon, which hit a total of 723 hectares of farmland south of the region of Urgell, Lleida, affecting the municipalities of Sant Martí de Riucorb, Omells de Na Gaia, Malda and Vallbona de les Monges.
The most affected crops are olives, almonds and grapes. The most significant damage has been recorded by almond crops and grapes that had yet to be harvested, with up to 50% of the production affected.
Source - http://www.freshplaza.com
