Prices for vetch seeds in Spain have skyrocketed

The vetch seed shortage has had a knock-on effect on the cost of other cover crops that Spanish farmers plant to meet crop rotation and biodiversity obligations under the EU eco-regime. In total, in Spain, almost 7 million hectares are covered by the pan-European eco-regime of crop rotation and biodiversity conservation, which implies subsidies to those who comply with the rules, writes the Spanish agricultural portal www.campogalego.es: “The obligation to rotate crops and introduce improving species to comply with the eco-regime has caused demand for legumes and their prices this year, when 350,000 hectares need to be sown with legumes - legumes must be sown on at least 5% of the area under eco-regime. At the same time, the situation with the shortage of legume seeds has been going on since last season. Drought and then frost significantly reduced the previous crop of certified seeds, so much so that yields fell from 1,200 kg per hectare to just 300, which is not enough for a ...