The pepper campaign and the vegetable production in general are not expected to be great in Fresno de la Vega. The hail that fell in late June caused a lot of destruction in many plots, and although many plants have apparently recovered, "the losses will easily reach 70%," said the mayor, Antonio Lozano.

On 29 June, a severe storm hit the south of the province, with Fresno de la Vega being one of the most affected municipalities. "It hit 80% of the plots," says the mayor. Peppers, mainly, but also broccoli, leeks or cauliflower were seriously damaged. "The crops were in bloom and the flowers were damaged. In some plants, these have regrown, but they are very late and the product is very small at a time when it should almost be ready to be harvested."

The economy of Fresno de la Vega is based, precisely, on agriculture and on the canning and distribution industries which have emerged alongside. According to the data provided by the mayor, the town has about 300 hectares devote to the cultivation of vegetables. The annual production of peppers amounts to around one million kilos, but this time it is expected to barely reach 300,000.

The vegetable is also a very sensitive product, especially in the case of Fresno de la Vega, where 70% of the production is sold fresh, so it has to be in perfect condition. The other 30% is processed by the canning industry.

Given the importance of the sector and the extent of the damages caused by the weather, the City Council approved the Declaration of catastrophic area on 4 July (just five days after the storm), so that the central Government and the Council of Castile-Leon could implement economic measures for the benefit of the growers affected. "However, we have not had news. It is true that August is a very difficult month for these matters in the administration, but so far, nobody has given us any answers," says Lozano. "Nevertheless, we can confirm that we have seen vehicles of the Council of Castile-Leon monitoring the plots. We suppose this is being done in order to check how the plants are developing."