Concern over a fungus attacking some of Malaga province's vineyards which could see an 80% fall in this year's harvest
The problem is widespread across many parts of Spain and is also affecting areas with a long wine-producing tradition including Castilla La Mancha and other parts of Andalucía
Microscopic in size but with a voracity capable of wiping out thousands of tonnes of muscatel grapes. This is the 'downy mildew' (plasmopara vitícola), a disease which, after a few years of remaining dormant due to the extreme drought that has hit Malaga province in recent years, has reappeared in the Axarquía. For the moment there is no exact data on its extension, but in the vineyards where it has been detected it is estimated that the drop in production will be 80 per cent.
The problem is widespread across Spain and is also affecting areas with a long wine-producing tradition including Castilla La Mancha and other parts of Andalucía.
This is a well-known fungus that attacks vines and this year the abundant rains in March and April and the high temperatures have helped it to spread rapidly and extensively. Now the sector and town halls in the Axarquía are asking the administrations for help as among fears that it will spread further.
The mayors of Almáchar and El Borge, Antonio Yuste and Raúl Vallejo, respectively, visited one of the vineyards affected by the 'downy mildew' fungus to see for themselves the damage that it is causing in the vineyards, which were declared an Important System of World Agricultural Heritage (SIPAM) by Unesco in April 2018. They were accompanied by the presidents of the local raisin cooperatives, the secretary general of the Small Farmers' Union (UPA) and several technicians, to analyse the situation.
"A very hard blow"
Growers estimate that they could lose up to 80% of the harvest in some cases. "It is a very hard blow for many families who live off the land and work hard all year round," the mayors said in a statement posted on social media. "The town halls, cooperatives and UPA are going to ask for urgent help from all the administrations. Our farmers cannot be alone at this complicated time," they added, showing their "total support" for the affected farmers.
"The countryside needs us and now more than ever we have to stand by those who work it every day," they argued. Yuste explained to Cadena Ser en la Axarquía radio that the situation "is much worse than we initially thought". He added, "There are farms like the one we visited that are not going to have anything to harvest in September, everything has been lost,"
The mayor said that technicians from the Junta de Andalucía regional government have promised to visit the area to study the fungus, "which can remain in the vineyards for several years until the farmers, using expensive chemical treatments, manage to get rid of it, but they fear that it will remain in the roots of the vines and continue to affect them in the coming years".
The fungus was last recorded in 2011, following a very rainy 2010, when La Viñuela reservoir filled and water had to be released in May 2011. It did so again in November 2012. This Tuesday it exceeded 82.6 million cubic metres, at 50.3 per cent of its capacity.
