Drought Devastates Spanish Wheat Harvests

The lowest wheat harvest in Spain has beaten historic records for the past few decades, resulting in a growing dependence on grain imports in the midst of a global grain shortage due to the Russia-Ukraine war.

Moscow recently attacked the port infrastructure in Ukraine, the “breadbasket of Europe”, and announced that it will no longer be supporting the export of grains through the Black Sea. This has resulted in a global grain shortage and a surge in grain prices.

The dire situation in Spain has been exacerbated by the droughts. José Roales, head of the grain sector of the Coordinator of Organizations of Farmers and Ranchers (COAG) stated that “We have already been suffering from the impact of a bad harvest from last year and this year will be even worse.”

COAG states that the lack of water already has impacted 80 per cent of the Spanish countryside, producing irreversible losses to the ceral sector. The drought has resulted in 5 million tons of grain produced in Spain, 67 per cent less than the 15.5 million tonnes produced in 2022. Andalusia is the community worst affected by the lack of water. This year, rainfall has barely reached 20 per cent of normal annual rates.

Spain has a demand for around 36.1 million tonnes of grain per year, which means that Spain will be relying heavily on imports. Due to the difficulty in obtaining grain from Ukraine, Spain will look elsewhere such as Brazil or Argentina to meet its needs, with a significant increase in the cost due to transport.

The Union of Small Farmers (UPA) stated that this year’s harvest will be the worst in history, and “despite the aid from the Ministry and autonomous communities, this compromises the level of investment for next year.”

The price of grain is also having severe consequences for the farming industry, with many farms closing due to the rising cost of feeding their animals, causing an increase in the price of meat and milk. The cost of wheat has risen this year by 17 per cent this year in Spain, and milk and eggs have risen by 16 per cent, and meat by 10 per cent.

COAG has urged the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to create a national pact to deal with the impact of drought and grain shortages in Spain.