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Bitter harvest for Spanish farmers as floods swamp fields

Spanish fruit farmer Bernardo Ferrer was almost to gather his crop of oranges and persimmon when lethal floods ravaged large systems of farmland in the Valencia area.

After visiting his mud-cloaked fields on Thursday, Ferrer stated whatever had actually been lost - his trees caked in thick silt that will make gathering impossible.

Now the fruit is going to rot. Even the trees can pass away since they have been under water for 36 hours ... With the heat, the humidity, the fungus will assault them too, he informed Reuters by phone from his farm in the Alzira location.

Valencia as a whole represent nearly two-thirds of citrus fruit production in Spain - the world's top exporter of oranges. Persimmon, a soft, orange-coloured fruit is another significant local crop, in addition to avocados, almonds and grapes for wine-making.

The floods, which have killed a minimum of 95 people and triggered enormous damage to infrastructure, have actually affected thousands of hectares of farmland, farming groups and farmers stated.

We are dealing with a catastrophe ... the losses will be in the millions (of euros), stated Ricardo Bayo, secretary of the Union of Small Manufacturers (UPA) in Valencia.

Another farming group, the Valencia Farmers' Association, stated orange, persimmon and mandarin crops were amongst those that would be lost.

In the rice-growing area of Albufera, fields were completely sumerged, with just a few farm buildings and trees visible above the water, Reuters images revealed.

Ferrer said he was relieved he had insurance coverage to cover his losses.

The insurance coverage (payment) normally shows up quite rapidly however with this scale we'll have to be patient, he said.

But while citrus crops are usually insured in the area, the percentage of vineyards and nut crops with insurance coverage is low, Bayo stated.

The association of Spanish agricultural insurance companies, Agroseguro, stated damage caused by the flooding would be covered.

Insurance companies will start to process applications when insured farmers and livestock breeders can access their farms to take stock of the damage, the association said in a declaration.

The floods likewise washed away equipment, irrigation systems and roads, said Manuel Alcaide, spokesperson for farmers' association COAG, who stated it was prematurely to determine losses.

Many farmers are still unable to access their farms, he added.

Livestock was likewise eliminated as the floodwaters swept in.

In Utiel, among the worst-affected towns in Valencia, Javier Iranzo and Ana Carmen Fernandez stated the flooding had totally wrecked their pig farm, with 50 of their animals having actually drowned.

(source: Reuters)