The drought in the Camp de Tarragona has notably reduced the surface area of hazelnut and olive crops in the regions of Baix Camp and Tarragonès, two areas that depend on the Riudecanyes reservoir. The decline became more intense from 2022, with the entry into force of water restrictions, and worsened in 2023, the first year without irrigation.
Strong fall of the hazelnut tree and of the olive tree in the Baix Camp
In Baix Camp, the hazelnut surface area had remained at high figures before the worsening of the drought. It went from 4,855 hectares in 2020 to 4,983 in 2021. The change came later. In 2022 it stood at 4,651 hectares and in 2023 it fell to 2,923 hectares, which represented a reduction of 37%. In 2024, the figure rose slightly to 2,978 hectares, although still very far from previous records.
The evolution of the olive tree in this same region followed a similar line. In 2022 it occupied 6,320 hectares and in 2023 it dropped to 3,963, a reduction of more than 35%. In 2024 a slight rebound was registered, with 4,267 hectares.
The Tarragonès also loses agricultural land
The decline is also felt in the Tarragonès. In the case of the hazelnut tree, the surface area has gone from 1,724 hectares in 2020 to 1,252 hectares in 2024. In the olive tree, the fall is appreciated between 2021 and 2023, going from 1,628 to 990 hectares. A year later, in 2024, the surface area stood at 1,029 hectares.
The loss of hectares in both regions occurs in a context of strong dependence on water stored in Riudecanyes, key for the agricultural activity of this part of the Camp de Tarragona. The restrictions applied since 2022 and the absence of irrigation in 2023 marked a turning point in the continuity of many farms.
Measures to sustain the sector
Given this situation, the administrations have launched the Hazelnut Plan, which incorporates about twenty measures. The program foresees economic support, actions in water management and modernization of farms, with the objective of sustaining a crop especially affected by the lack of water resources.
The data reflect a slight recovery in 2024 in some crops, although the general balance continues to show a deep cut in the agricultural surface area in Baix Camp and Tarragonès after two years of strong impact from the drought.