Spain: Catastrophic chestnut campaign in Extremadura

UPA-UCE Extremadura describes the chestnut harvest in this campaign as “catastrophic”, with a drop in production of almost 40% compared to the previous year. The effects of climate change have done a lot of damage to chestnut-producing areas in this campaign. The drought we experienced, with long periods of high temperatures, together with the subsequent rains, have favored the appearance of fungi, mainly in the Piornal and Barrado area, which has caused cracking with the consequent scarcity of the fruit. "We are noticing the consequences of an increasingly accelerated and perverse climate change for the chestnut tree, which not only reduces harvests, but also compromises the survival of the rural environment, affecting both producers and harvesting and processing companies in Extremadura," they highlight. from UPA-UCE Extremadura. Jorge Bermejo, producer of seven varieties of chestnuts in Navaconcejo, agrees that it is a “complicated” campaign, with a lot of fruit that has had to ...