Murcia drought affects vine yield in Jumilla but wine quality remains high
53,000 tons of grapes have been harvested for wine this year but around 70% of the wine-growing hectares have been affected by dry weather
Wine makers in Jumilla were visited by the Minister of Agriculture, Sara Rubira, this week as she learnt about the final stretch of the 2024 grape harvest. Rubira was accompanied by Jumilla’s Mayor seve González and the Councillor for Agriculture Antonio Pérez.
The three visited a plot of land belonging to the Bodegas Parajes del Valle de Jumilla, which is immersed in the grape culture of the region.
According to Rubira, “The three designations of origin of wine in the Region of Murcia account for 72% of the Monastrell grape production in Spain, a variety that has become one of the hallmarks of regional wines.”
Pérez however was concerned about the serious situation of the dry vineyards in Jumilla. The Councillor stated, “There is a considerable decrease compared to last year, and last year there was already a considerable decrease in what is an average production in these vineyards. Despite this, the quality does seem good because it has rained in the months when the fruit is fattening.”
Pérez continued by stating, “The state of the vineyards is lamentable. When pruning is carried out, they will be left with very small shoots for next year, so we can already predict that the next harvest will be poorer than usual, even if it is a good year in terms of climate.”
The regional government has also indicated that this year, companies in the wine-growing sector in the Region of Murcia have received a total of 5.2 million euros in aid. Furthermore, acording to the Ministry’s forecasts, this harvest will offer data very similar to those of 2023, with a final production of close to 53,000 tons of wine grapes.
This year, however, has been marked by the drought suffered by the crops, which is producing small-sized fruits, although with the necessary quality for the production of regional wines.
Rubira concluded by saying that “the lack of rain is affecting the sector, which is in a very difficult situation. For this reason, the regional government has allocated 1.9 million euros this year to support these crops through vineyard conversion and green harvesting programmes, with which producers can continue to invest in this crop.”
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Image: Ayuntamiento de Jumilla
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