Spain: An uneven harvest begins, more profitable in Ciudad Real and Mancha and with great losses in Campo de Montiel

The autumn-winter cereal harvest has just started in the province with very uneven results. In general terms, the estimates made at the beginning of spring, which pointed to significant increases in all types of grain, collapsed due to the heat wave in the third week of May, with temperatures close to 40 degrees. These high values affected the maturation of the seeds, but especially the fruits that were still green, corresponding to the varieties of cereals with a later cycle, such as wheat and legumes, or also those cultivated in northern areas or more altitude. For this reason, Ciudad Real will register a non-conforming balance in its cereal regions, with lower losses in Campo de Calatrava and La Mancha, and greater damages in Montiel. Overall, production forecasts point to a 20% drop in the province, with some 550,000 tons, according to Asaja, compared to more than 600,000 last year, and 750,000 two campaigns ago. In the surroundings of the capital, the first results are good, ...