These frosts, which occurred between March 28 and 30, have impacted budding and floral development at a critical stage of the vegetative cycle. The most affected regions include Vall d'Albaida, La Costera, and Ribera Alta, with approximately 1,200 hectares of damaged crops.
The most damaged crops are persimmons, stone fruits such as apricots, peaches, and plums, as well as almond trees. La Unió Llauradora emphasizes that this event is not a typical winter frost but occurred during a sensitive flowering and bud development phase, amplifying the cold's impact.
This type of adverse weather, unfortunately increasingly frequent outside the usual calendar, highlights the need to adapt agricultural policies and risk coverage instruments within the current agricultural insurance system.
The agricultural organization has announced it will request Agroseguro to expedite damage assessments for affected plots so that farmers can receive their corresponding indemnities. Additionally, it will ask the Generalitat for direct aid for those affected.
Among the additional measures La Unió Llauradora will demand are the forgiveness of IBI for cultivated plots, a 50% bonus on Social Security contributions, and a 50% deferral for 12 months for self-employed farmers, as well as a reduction in the net yield index for IRPF and the establishment of preferential credit lines.
