Andalucía counts the cost of four months rain

Andalucía counts the cost of four months rain
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By h.b. - Mar 11, 2010 - 2:49 PM
23 percent of agricultural land in the region has been damaged by the rain and flooding

Flooding in the La Liberación area of Jerez - EFE

Four months of rain in Andalucía has taken its toll on a region of Spain better known for making headlines about drought. The Junta de Andalucía has admitted that the rain has been of a persistence and intensity unknown in the region, and they have given some data on the damage done. Some of the areas in Cádiz, Córdoba, Jaén and Sevilla, have seen more than double a year’s average rainfall in just four months.

23% of farming land has been damaged and 11% of all the working hours in the campo have been lost. Union UGT wants the Government to help workers who have earned so little and it seems some subsidies will be available, initially only in the areas of the olive groves.

427,000 hectares of land has been damaged with the most affected crops being the olive, citrus fruits, vegetables, strawberries, raspberries and cereals. Sevilla and Jaén are the most affected provinces.

The beaches have not escaped the damage of the storms either with 37 coastal municipalities reporting damage. Concern at the state of the beaches at Easter has led central government to offer 80 million € to cover half the costs of an urgent reparation program, with Huelva, Cádiz and Málaga taking most of the funding as they have in general been most affected.

Fishing too has been affected as the fleet has often been kept ashore and catches down 10% on last year. 29 days fishing was lost over the past three months.

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