Friday, February 10, 2012

Keeping their fingers crossed

Winter is a trying time for farmers, even in Spain.They plant crops in autumn to be harvested in early spring and hope that the weather will be kind to them.

Although planting an early crop can bring better prices it also carries risks. A spell of cold weather with ground frosts can ruin vegetables like artichokes, beans and potatoes. On Wednesday night, the temperature dropped down to the point where the delicate crops would have been frozen and thus blackened. Night time temperatures will remain low for the rest of the week. 

The good news for farmers is that second crops, planted to be harvested in March, should be alright.

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