Por Redaccion 
There are significant losses of 3.1 million euros in the irrigated vineyard; 2.6 million in dry soil; and 5.1 million euros in Dry Almond
The regional government has presented the data collected by technicians from the Ministry of Water, Agriculture, Livestock, and Fishies after the hailstorms on the 8th and 10th of May. In the meeting with representatives from CoAG, Asaja, UPA, and FECOAM, the councilor Sara Rubra Rubra has reported that throughout the region, 31,235 affected individuals have been identified, damaging 105,293 tons with a value of 105 million euros.
The municipalities with the highest damages are Jumilla and Yecla, «to which we must add the municipalities in Archena, Caravaca de la Cruz, and Lorquí, where Hail has affected more than 30 percent of the crops.»
It was also specified that mold damage was «significant» with over 4,700 hectares affected, representing 17% of the crops in the area.
According to reports available to the regional government, the most affected crops are peaches, with 22 million euros; pears, with 11 million; lemon, with 6.6 million; and apricot, with 6.5 million. The councilor highlighted significant losses of 3.1 million euros in the irrigated vineyard and 2.6 million in dry soil. Additionally, losses of 5.1 million euros in dry almonds were recorded.
«All the municipalities that requested a report to apply for what we all know as a catastrophic area have received it, and we know that some of them have already begun the procedures to apply for it through the government delegation,» said the councilor.
However, he believes that the highest losses have occurred in fruit trees «Fortunately, they are insured at 80 percent.» He also indicated that many almond producers did not have insured crops, so the government is «working with Agroseguro to improve this policy and make it a useful tool to protect against this type of weather trend.»
Help
The councilor also noted that the regional government is working on implementing two lines of assistance for farmers with affected crops.
The first aims to cover the expenses derived from the work they have to do at this time to restore these crop fields. To do this, he says: «We provide farmers with a line of credit in which they will not have to pay capital or interest in the first year, because the regional government will subsidize them.»
The second of the lines that the regional government is working on focuses on loans that could have been used previously. «We are working with the goal that they do not have to pay interest for a year, because the regional government will pay them,» Rubira said.