Damage to an olive grove in the Sevillian town of Gilena
© Efeagro / José Manuel VidalDamage to an olive grove in the Sevillian town of Gilena
According to estimates by the Spanish Group of Combined Agricultural Insurance Entities (Agroseguro), the storms and hail registered recently in various parts of Spain have damaged a total of 24,000 hectares of crops.

The region of Castile-La Mancha has been particularly hit by these meteorological events, with the greatest damage being recorded in Campo de Calatrava and Montiel, in Ciudad Real, and in Albacete.

In the province of Ciudad Real, hail has caused plenty of damage to almond trees (just at the beginning of their harvest season) and to summer vegetables (melon, watermelon, tomato and onion). In Albacete, the hail storms have hit similar crops, as well as other like corn or lettuce, as revealed by Agroseguro data.

In the case of Extremadura, a region also strongly affected, the greatest damage has been reported in the Las Vegas Altas region, in the province of Badajoz, especially in fruit trees (some plum and peach varieties) and in crops such as tomatoes.



In the case of the regions of Rioja Alta, in La Rioja, and La Ribera, in Navarre, a total of 2,000 hectares have been affected by two storms on different days.

Hail has also hit Requena-Utiel, in the Region of Valencia, and the province of Cordoba, in Andalusia.

Agroseguro said that the damage caused is covered by the agricultural insurance system and that experts have started visiting the affected plots.

So far this year, 360,000 agricultural hectares have been affected by inclement weather. The province of Burgos is, for now, the one that has suffered the most damage from hail, with 35,000 hectares affected during 2020. At the same time, Zaragoza, Huesca, Palencia or Segovia have exceeded 20,000 hectares, while Cuenca, Guadalajara, La Rioja, Lleida or Soria report around 15,000 hectares hit.

Crops affected by hail
© Efeagro / Elisa LaderasCrops affected by hail
Source: efeagro.com