Rabbit plague causes havoc for farmers in western Catalonia

Farmers in the western Catalan county of Urgell have decided not to plant their crops that should be harvested in June due to a consistent rabbit plague. The combination of uncontrolled animals with increased production costs and a lack of rainfall left some farmers no choice but to leave their land uncultivated.

The affected farmers in Verdú claim to be tired of the rabbits who mostly eat cereals, rapeseed and other herbs, as well as vine crops such as almonds and pistachios. 

The rabbits are scattered across hundreds of thousands of burrows that are visible on the edges of the farms.

The plague, in addition to the drought and rising production costs, led to several farmers choosing to remain idle before using their land again. “Some of the farmers plan on waiting to sow the spring corn, seeing if they can save anything by then,” said Ramon Boleda, spokesman of the affected farmers.

Rainfall in September could have been a natural solution, causing the rabbits to suffer from viruses that would have reduced the rabbit population drastically. Boleda called this the most “feasible” solution, as hunting down the animals has not worked out well up until now.

The affected farmers held a meeting with various mayors from the Urgell and Segarra counties to decide on a statement to send to the Department of Climate Action, demanding they fulfill their commitments pledged after several protests last summer.

"We've done all we can, now it's up to them to fulfill their promises, to do something in places like public roads, basins, railways, places where you cannot hunt where they have not done anything," Boleda said. 

They want to be able to hunt the animals in public spaces such as marshes and roads, as this is where the rabbits normally reproduce and scatter. 

Boleda has called on the farmers' unions to lead these demands and "bang their fist on the table" so that the department pays attention to the sector.