Simon Wade
THE WARMER climate is favouring at least one industry on the Costa Blanca.
Almond growers have seen cultivation for their premium type of nut boom in recent years, thanks largely due to the lack of any frost.
The nut, now has its own special Marcona Almond Day, with the first annual celebration being held in Jijona, north of Alicante, this Friday.
Leading experts in the industry and genetic improvement of food will meet to discuss how to further grow the industry.
The Marcona is the variety of almond in highest demand in both Europe and the USA.
Indeed, US website nuts.com praises the crop highly, ” Spanish almonds are known for their unique profiles and excellent, natural cultivation processes and European regulations do not require almonds to be pasteurised, so the almond maintains a more natural texture and flavor.”
Ignasi Batlle is attached to the Department of Agriculture, he said, “One of the great problems of the cultivation of the Marcona is frost and if, as we are seeing with climate change, we go to warmer and milder times, there will be no more damage and losses.”
However, he also recognised that almonds need lots of water to prosper, a commodity that climate warming may affect, further.
Baixa Marina Water Consortium has confirmed, however, that their reservoirs are generally between 95 and 100% full, meaning the region has sufficient fresh water for a whole year.
