'Turning into a desert': An end to Avocado farming in drought-hit Spain?

FRANCE 24 English

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00:00 The Malaga region produces more avocados than any other place in Europe, but this year's drought has devastated the fruits.

00:07 Last year this farmer lost 75% of his crop.

00:12 "That one can't go to market, but this one can.

00:18 Very dry days with a water shortage have led to lighter, smaller fruit."

00:29 Andalusia has 10,000 hectares covered in avocado plantations.

00:34 A single tree consumes up to 180 litres of water a day, four times the amount needed by an orange tree.

00:41 Water that comes directly from basins like the one here, but it's currently only 10% full.

00:48 "What you're seeing here is a jetty.

00:52 People would come here, get on the boat and head to the reservoir."

00:58 This biologist who studies the region has seen the production of avocados boom over the last few years.

01:04 A single kilogram of the fruit can net farmers three euros,

01:08 an attractive business that has dried out some of the land.

01:12 "We don't have enough water here.

01:16 If we insist on continuing to be Europe's allotment, as they say, we're going to end up with a desert."

01:25 To tackle its lack of water, Spain has just adopted a plan worth two billion euros.

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