Weather vagaries near the Mediterranean last week caused great damage to agriculture in southern France. Other areas in France and Spain have also been hit hard.

“There are no reports yet, but several cultures in France and Spain have been seriously damaged,” says Charles Farran of Ritex, a wholesaler in Perpignan.

“In France, we collect autumn and winter vegetables, such as artichokes and lettuce. Water is not necessarily harmful to these products, and we hope that there will not be too much damage.

Apple and pear orchards can also be damaged. Products such as tomatoes are grown in greenhouses, so they are less affected by rainfall. It is true that various greenhouses in the Nîmes and Avignon areas were destroyed by a storm. ”

Mediterranean rains also had some influence in Spain. “The grapes were probably the hardest hit by the water,” explains Charles, who imports many of his products from Spain.

When Eric Vidal wanted to collect his salad, he saw a tornado take away 10,000 m² of his greenhouses located in the heart of Jardins Saint Jacques on Tuesday night. “When I got to the greenhouses, I immediately realized that something bad had happened.

The greenhouses behind were completely destroyed. It was as if a bull had run through them and destroyed everything. Surprisingly, the other objects right next to them were not affected at all, ”Eric explains.

The farmer summarizes: “After the expert’s conclusion, we will have to disassemble, clean and rebuild everything. We will only get the salad next summer. ” Probably, the company will have to temporarily lay off part of the staff.