Potato farmers of Sa Pobla still on alert for the possibility of frost

Inclement weather conditions could affect the beginning of the export campaign | Redaccion Local

Majorca Daily Bulletin reporterSa Pobla19/01/2022 09:44

The farmers of Sa Pobla have marked this week in red in their calendar due to the possible appearance of night frosts that could affect the potato plantations. For the moment, there have been no significant incidents, according to Joan Mateu, manager of Mateu Export, the largest potato exporter of Sa Pobla.

The temperatures of the night from Monday to Tuesday and from Tuesday to Wednesday were very low and at some points reached -0.5. Fortunately, "the farmers set up their irrigation systems and the plants have not suffered during these days," explains Joan Mateu. Fortunately for the farmers the wind has been mild and not been a cause for concern.

However the farmers cannot let their guard down and have computerized irrigation systems ready to start automatically when the temperature drops. This creates a film that protects the plant from frost. The potato fields of Sa Pobla will be harvested in a few weeks and then be exported. The UK represents 25% of Sa Pobla's potato export market.