In Spain, the fig acreage in Lleida is starting expanding to 500 hectares

Fig cultivation is starting to expand in the northern Spanish province of Lleida as an alternative to other fruit crops. According to the most recent official data from the regional Ministry of Climate Action, the fig area in the province is about 500 hectares. Fig exports exceeded €3 million last year, according to data from Spain's Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism. The Summer Fruit coordinator within the Lleida department of the Asaja growers' association, Jordi Vidal, is one of the growers who have opted for fig cultivation. "I have been trying to diversify my offer for years. I don't want to put all the eggs in one basket. In addition to stone fruit, I also grow figs, cherries and pears. I research how the cultivation works and whether it is profitable, because after the Russian embargo and the drop in stone fruit prices, I had a hard time keeping my head above water," he says. The harvest has now started. The volumes are still limited, because the early blue figs have ...