Cereal harvest recovers in Malaga province but farmers face crisis with low prices

Easter rains allowed harvesters to return to the fields, but farmers have another problem on their hands

Matías Stuber

Malaga

Monday, 15 July 2024, 18:51

Malaga province is starting to recover its cereal harvest following a horror 2023 when crop yields were heavily impacted by the drought.

Thanks to the two healthy bouts of rainfall in March this year, the cereal has taken hold and the province will once again have a harvest. The signs are good after a 2023 that was the worst in history due to the lack of water.

In 2022, according to Asaja's agricultural balance sheet, production in Malaga province reached 131,066 tonnes and a turnover of 573.64 million euros. The current harvest is not yet finished, but at this stage experts are predicting a better season than last year, although not record-breaking. The recovery in agricultural activity however is coming up against low prices that are reducing yields.

María Dolores Bravo, a farmer from Árdales, is hurrying through the last few days before going in with her combine harvester. "The cereal is still a little wet and I prefer to wait. What is clear is that the fields are looking good. The Easter rains have been very good," she said.

This is the expected behaviour in a thirsty crop that is reviving with the first water inputs. The soil has responded like a sponge. "If it had rained a little more, imagine. We could be talking about a very good season," she added. However, what worries her most is the price of cereals in the supermarkets.

In any case, with the amount of water that has fallen, farmers will be able to get back to work in June and July, which are the months when the cereal is harvested in Malaga province. The grain, according to Benito Avilés, a farmer from Campillos, is in "acceptable" condition. "The yield we are seeing is more or less normal. It's not fabulous, but it's good," he pointed out. However, making comparisons with 2023 could be misleading, he added. "There was nothing. And improving on nothing is very easy," he said.

Black year in history

Last year will go down in history as a black year. Many farmers in Malaga province burned money. Without water, it was impossible to recoup the expenditure on seeds and fertilisers. The luckier ones insured their crops and could cry with one eye. Those who were not had to deal with great ruin. In municipalities known for its cereal production, such as Teba, losses reached 90% compared to normal harvests in previous years.

Most of the cereal grown in Malaga is destined for the manufacture of animal feed and about 10% is used for human food (common wheat). Part of the barley production is used for beer production. But the problem now lies in the markets. In recent weeks, a clear downward trend has taken hold. Durum wheat is currently paid at 277 euros and soft wheat at 215 euros per tonne. "A price that allows the farmer to breathe would be around 450 euros," Avilés pointed out.

Very low prices

Gonzalo Silvia, manager of the Teba cooperative, when asked about how the season has gone said: "While in the area of Teba, Cuevas del Becerro, Árdales or Ronda things have been average, the municipalities near Antequera or Campillos have performed better". In Teba, he pointed out, the loss compared to good harvests, on this occasion, would be between 60% and 65%.

But what really gives him a headache are the prices. "They are derisory and don't cover the costs," he said, adding that all costs have tripled for the farmer. "We are talking about seeds, we are talking about fertilisers and we are talking about machinery." These cost increases are not compensated by the current prices.

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