Drought-hit farmers in Catalonia warn of long-term impact on agriculture

Catalonia is going through its worst drought in history. Since the fall of 2020, rainfall has been far below normal and the region has accumulated a rainfall deficit of around 500 mm, equivalent to Barcelona's average annual rainfall.    

According to the United Nations, agriculture and food production consume about 70% of the world's water, and the Catalan government has imposed several restrictions on agricultural irrigation.  

Their plan involves dividing the territory into differing states of "alert" according to the severity of the drought. In March, a large part of the territory, including Barcelona, was placed in an "exceptional" state, and agricultural irrigation was reduced by 40%.   

At the end of November, the Ter-Llobregat system, the largest in Catalonia and which supplies water to the city of Barcelona, entered a pre-emergency phase and could soon be placed in the most serious state of emergency.  

In a potential state of emergency, which 36 municipalities have already entered, agricultural irrigation will be prohibited, posing a potentially disastrous situation for farmers. 

Miquel Piñol, of the Catalan Farmers' Union, says the drought has already affected crops. Many grain crops, which are the first to be harvested, could not be reaped this year due to the drought because of the small size of the grains.   

Many other crops were also affected: fruit crops - both irrigated and rainfed - were too small to sell due to lack of water, wine grape production was down between 30-70%, and there were significant crop losses in nut crops.   

Water is critical to ensuring food security, but irrigation restrictions inhibit plant growth and limit nutrient uptake from the soil. This reduces both the quantity and quality of agricultural production. 

But the drought has not only thwarted this year's season; it also threatens future harvests.   

"No matter how much it rains and how much we can water [the crops], the genetic information that the plants have collected from the previous year is of stress and suffering," Piñol said. "The following year, the only thing the plant will do is produce leaves, vegetation, and it will not produce fruit."  

The government has responded by providing subsidies to ensure that no farmer loses this year's investment. But if the drought continues into next year, the subsidies could become too expensive. Piñol says a massive investment will be needed if it does not rain.

Many farmers have already begun to diversify their crops. Earlier this season, some farmers in Catalonia stopped planting corn and planted winter crops such as wheat or barley.

However, moving from water-intensive fruits to drought-resistant options like olives or nuts will be a major challenge in adapting to this change.

Miquel says that it takes four to five years for new farms to start producing. In addition, changing all the existing equipment is very expensive.

If local farmers are forced to stop growing crops, authorities will start importing products from other countries, which could lead to even higher prices in supermarkets.