Alex Trelinski
THE Valencian Community is expected to produce its lowest wine grape harvest for 30 years, due to the ongoing drought.
La Unio Llaurador which represents Valencian farmers says this year’s yield of white and muscatel grapes will be well down on normal expectations.
It suggests that wine grape production will fall on last year’s numbers and around 42% lower than the average yield of the last 30 years.
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It warns that many vines have simply dried up in the dry weather, forcing an increasing amount of land and vineyard owners to not bother doing anything at all.
By Designations of Origin (DO), in Utiel-Requena and Valencia the harvest fall compared to last year could be 30%; in Alicante down by 31% and the decrease is projected at 27% for Vins de Castello.
Over prices, La Unio says there are profits to be made for white grapes used in the production of cava.
The average price at origin has risen from €0.70 per kilo to €0.80 per kilo in 2024, with the upward trends set to continue.
The bad news is that other white or red grape varieties are suffering with price quotes from wine producers that do not even cover production costs.
A recent study by La Unio already put the losses for vineyards in the Valencian Community at over €24 million due to the drought.
The survey makes no account of other problems like trees dying and indirect losses.
La Unio says price increases are necessary so that local producers ‘see part of the harvest decline and high production costs compensated’.
It’s also demanded ‘extraordinary aid’ from politicians and administrations.
The group have already requested the Ministry of Agriculture several times to urgently set emergency aid for affected vineyards as well as for owners of olive groves, almond trees, cereal crops, and table grape producers.
La Unio says there has been no positive response to any of these demands.
Finally, they specify that vineyards and olive groves, have got no compensation for losses suffered during the drought and the effects of the war in Ukraine.
