arborists facing drought

Will the fruit trees of the Pyrénées-Orientales overcome this episode of historic drought? This is the question posed by a couple of arborists in the Tech Valley. Since Wednesday April 26, they have been carrying out an operation which may seem surprising, but essential. They cause nearly 60% of their nectarines to fall to the ground. This technique allows the tree to continue to focus its energy on the remaining fruit.

Towards a transition to a state of crisis

However, the harvest promises to be poor, if not non-existent. With the drought, the orchard lacks water. It hasn’t rained enough for eight months. “If our harvest is not saved, I don’t know what the farmers will become. […] We have the right to nothing at all”, worries Incarnation Baset, the arborist. In the Agly valley, a producer hesitates to cut down all of his apricots to ensure the survival of his trees. A decision that he pushes back every day. Since the end of February, the Pyrénées-Orientales have been on heightened drought alert. The prefect could announce at the end of the week the transition to a state of crisis.