Lorraine Williamson
Weeks of relentless storms are now hitting Spain where it hurts most: the fields. Farmers across the south and west of the country are warning of “catastrophic” crop losses after Storm Marta battered the Iberian Peninsula with more torrential rain, strong winds, and snowfall.
Large areas of farmland in Andalucía and neighbouring regions have been submerged, with vegetables and winter crops left rotting in saturated soil. Thousands of hectares of broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower have been inundated in Cádiz province alone, while growers say the damage will take months to assess.
Agricultural organisations are already calling for emergency support as the scale of losses becomes clearer. Early estimates suggest hundreds of millions of euros in damage across farming and forestry, with some producers warning that entire harvests may be wiped out.
Fields under water after weeks of storms
Storm Marta is only the latest in a series of severe weather systems to hit Spain and Portugal this winter. Successive storms have left ground saturated, rivers swollen, and infrastructure under pressure. In parts of southern Spain, the Guadalquivir and other major rivers remain dangerously high after days of heavy rainfall.
Farmers say the timing could not be worse. Winter vegetables are at a critical stage of growth, and prolonged flooding can destroy both current crops and the soil structure needed for the next planting season.
“It is raining without stopping,” one farmers’ representative in Andalucía said, describing fields that have become lakes after repeated downpours.
Wider disruption across Spain
The storm has also forced evacuations, closed roads, and disrupted air and rail services across parts of Spain and Portugal. Thousands of residents have been displaced in affected areas, while authorities continue to monitor rivers and reservoirs under pressure from persistent rain.
Extreme weather has already taken lives during the recent storm sequence, underlining how dangerous conditions remain. Authorities are warning that further rainfall could worsen flooding in some regions, even as others begin to dry out.
Possible impact on food supply
While it is too early to measure the full economic impact, agricultural groups warn that the damage could affect supply chains and prices in the coming weeks. Spain is one of Europe’s main producers of winter vegetables and citrus, meaning losses in key regions can ripple beyond local markets.
Farmers are now focused on assessing what can be salvaged and how quickly they can recover once the weather stabilises.
Spain still on weather watch
Meteorologists say the storm pattern affecting the Iberian Peninsula has not yet fully cleared. Even where skies brighten, saturated ground and high river levels mean the risk of flooding and further crop damage remains.
For many farmers, the immediate priority is simple: wait for the rain to stop, then begin counting the cost.
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