Asaja urges Agriculture to replant almond trees in Alicante to prevent their disappearance

Almond trees are at risk of disappearing in Alicante. The ongoing drought has led to a collapse in the cultivation of this nut by more than 33%. Over the past 14 years, the number of hectares cultivated in the province has decreased from 20,413 to just over 14,600.

For this reason, the Young Farmers Association (Asaja) of Alicante is urging the Ministry of Agriculture to implement a replanting plan for these trees to prevent the disappearance of a traditional and emblematic crop in the province.

The association demands "the activation of a plan to replace almond trees killed by drought through subsidies to farmers to cover the costs of uprooting and replanting." Asaja insists that if measures are not taken, "the crop is at risk of disappearing, as many trees have become unproductive due to the drought."

The rainfall deficit of the past year, at 56%, has further complicated the conditions for these trees, which typically have a productive age of 30 years. However, due to the lack of rain, trees aged 15 to 20 years are dying prematurely.

In response, Asaja Alicante is asking the Generalitat for a support line "dedicated to uprooting and replanting for almond farmers in dryland farming, with a fixed amount per tree and the guarantee that this aid will last for at least four years."

The president of the agricultural association, José Vicente Andreu, is adamant on the matter: "It's now or never, because we are reaching a point of no return." Andreu explains that "we are not talking about reductions and damages in the harvests, we demand to replace trees that we have lost and that have not withstood the extreme drought of recent years."

In this regard, Asaja Alicante reminds that other producing communities have increased their area in this century, such as Castilla-La Mancha, Aragón, Murcia, and Andalucía, while in the Comunitat it has fallen by 26%.

The agricultural association also highlights the environmental value of these crops, which are "a hallmark of our land and an unmistakable part of our landscape due to the tourist appeal of their distinctive blossom." The xylella fastidiosa has devastated the landscapes of the Alicante mountains, and Asaja warns that the figure of the small farmer is "in serious danger of disappearing."

"The dryland almond tree occupies cultivated spaces where nothing else can be planted, always alongside areas of high environmental value," reports the agricultural association, insisting that "the abandonment is not only causing an economic grievance for farmers, who are forced to change activities or invest in other crops, but also leads to an uncontrolled forest, increasing the risk of fire outbreaks."