Early raspberries and blueberries in Europe will be expensive, consequences of the storm in Morocco, Spain, and Portugal

EastFruit experts draw attention to the consequences of Storm Bernard, which last weekend caused quite significant damage to the production regions of Spain, Portugal and Morocco. In particular, the assessment of damage to berry plantations is currently ongoing, but preliminary results have been announced, and they turned out to be disappointing for farmers. Storm Bernard was accompanied not only by heavy rains, but also by strong winds. In addition, in some regions, strong winds were also accompanied by a sandstorm at speeds reaching 100 kilometers per hour! This led to significant damage to greenhouses where early berry crops were grown: raspberries, blackberries, blueberries and strawberries. Moreover, in addition to damage to greenhouses, cases of destruction of plants that were uprooted are also reported. Currently, in the berry regions of Morocco, the loss of raspberry plantations is estimated at 15-20%. Blueberry and strawberry plantations also suffered significant damage, ...