Dryland almond trees will disappear from the Balearic landscape: "In five years there won't be a single one left"

"In five years there won't be a single one." dryland almond treeIn the Balearic Islands, according to the head of the Agriculture Service, Andreu Juan, in his appearance before the Parliament's Climate Change Commission on Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries this Wednesday, 7,000 hectares have been planted, a figure that demonstrates that this crop is currently "in deficit." This tree was traditionally cultivated in the Balearic Islands because it withstood drought, the Mediterranean climate, and did not have a very high maintenance cost. However, more work and care of the land is now required to obtain results.XylellaA bacterium that clogs the vessels through which sap circulates. This prevents water and nutrients from reaching the leaves, leading to a loss of production and even the death of the tree.

"If irrigated almond trees hadn't been planted, there wouldn't be any almonds."

"The landscape of almond trees in bloom in January and February has ended as a consequence of climate change. The remaining dryland almond trees will die, and no new plantings will be established because they are not economically viable, even in the context of Xylella and adverse weather events," he emphasized. Juan indicated that, despite the loss of these farms, the hectares that were once occupied by almond trees are now filled with forest and reminded everyone that the Government provides aid of up to 75 percent for the costs of establishing irrigated plantations. In the last four years, the area of ​​irrigated almond trees in the Balearic Islands has increased by 45%, according to data from the Ministry of Agriculture. This increase is due to the resistance of this crop to theXylella And the fact that it has more consistent vintages than dryland farming. All of this leads farmers to opt for this type of cultivation.