Hail on August 2 destroyed 50% of the tobacco crop

The hailstorm of August 2 last year affected 199 tobacco plots, of which 143 have already been visited by experts, and there are damage claims for another 56 plots to be processed. 49.83% of the national tobacco crop has been declared damaged. Of these, 64.53% were classified as “more serious”, characterized by the rupture of the central nerves of the leaves and a loss of more than 50% in leaf mass, the Andorran Association of Farmers and Lamades explained, describing the impact of the hail on some plots as “devastating”. The organization pointed out that it is “too early to make any kind of global assessment” of the losses caused by the storm, stressing that the data provided are the ones they have at their disposal at the moment.

Fields that have not yet been visited are expected to receive experts this week. “The severity of the weather event and the imminent harvesting of some crops were decisive factors in prioritizing visits to develop a work plan tailored to the needs of harvesters,” the association said in a press statement. Advanced, a global balance of hail impacts will be provided when all expertise is available.