"If irrigated almond trees had not been planted, there would be no almonds at all."
The dryland crops characteristic of the Balearic Islands are less resistant to the consequences of climate change and Xylella, and also have unstable production that makes it difficult for farmers to survive.
PalmDryland almond trees no longer colonize the Balearic landscapes, as they did years ago. The standard cultivation of the islands is disappearing: "The dryland almond trees that produced 99.9% of Mallorca's almonds no longer exist," laments the president of the Camp Mallorquí Cooperative, Miquel Gual. This tree was planted in the Balearic Islands because it resisted drought, the Mediterranean climate, and did not have a very high maintenance cost.
This has been reversed since climate change has favored a lack of rainfall and hours of cold in the fields, which means that more work and care of the land are required to obtain results. All of this is added to the Xylella, a bacterium that clogs the vessels through which sap circulates. This prevents water and nutrients from reaching the leaves and leads to a loss of production and even the death of the tree. According to a 2020 UIB study, 80% of almond trees in Mallorca suffered from this disease. Researchers calculated that infected trees live an average of 14 years.
An almond tree "begins to produce at five years old and must be removed after 25 years," believes the Director General of Agriculture, Livestock and Rural Development, Fernando Fernández. This fact implies that after this period or up to a maximum of 14 years, if they become infected with Xylella, must be removed. This is one more job for the farmer. Furthermore, if he wants to maintain his plantation, he'll have to replant and try to prevent the disease from spreading, two tasks that require time and money: introducing management practices to delay the onset of the disease. Xylella, among others. Today, the almond market "is very volatile and heavily influenced by massive imports from third countries," adds the general director.
This combination of drawbacks causes farmers to lose confidence in this sector and abandon it. "Older people get discouraged when they see all their dead almond trees," says Nofre Fullana, technical director of the Association of Agricultural and Organic Production of Mallorca (Apaema). In fact, according to data from the Ministry of Agriculture, there are currently 22,600 hectares of almond trees registered in the Inter-island Agricultural Registry (RIA). Of the total, "9,640 are productive, approximately 3,600 are completely abandoned, and the rest are unmarketable, diseased areas that are not considered productive," notes Fernández.
Introduction of Irrigation
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 crop's resistance to Xylella, although "today it's very difficult to guarantee that an almond tree will never have one," Fernández recalls. However, its resistance to bacteria and the fact that it has more regular vintages than dryland almonds are encouraging farmers to opt for this type of cultivation. The technical director of Apaema is pleased that hectares of irrigated almond trees have been planted. "Otherwise, there wouldn't be any Mallorcan almonds. This year, only 5% of dryland almonds have entered the Cooperative," he believes.
On the other hand, foreign hybrid varieties are also being introduced. They are "more stable and have stable production," explains the general director. However, he reminds us that countries that have always valued and consumed Mallorcan almonds for their intense flavor "shouldn't take away our colors so that local varieties don't remain."
Preserving local almond trees
The general manager points out that the Balearic Germplasm Bank has 80 local almond varieties, with which they conduct prospecting work and study which ones might be the most productive. In this regard, the president of Camp Mallorquí explains that the Cooperative establishes 25-year rental contracts with landowners to plant almond trees. "We cover all the expenses, and the owners keep a portion and we keep the rest," he explains.
But he regrets that they can't find land because "there's no land." In the countryside, regulations are applied that promote non-agricultural activities, such as the new agrarian law—currently under public review—which will allow 10 tourist spaces on professional farms. "We are headed toward the disappearance of agricultural activity. Foravila has become a wasteland. We'll have more villas, lawns, and swimming pools, but we won't eat almonds," he complains.
