Drought will cause crop failures in Spain, farmers warn

MADRID (AP) — The main Spanish farmers association says drought now affects 60% of the Spanish countryside and is causing “irreversible losses” to more than 3.5 million hectares of crops, with some regions writing off wheat and barley for this year entirely. Wheat and barley are expected to fail in four major growing regions and are badly affected in three more, the Coordinator of Farmers and Ranchers Organizations says in a new report. Olives and nuts are experiencing problems due to Spain’s long-term drought, which is also affecting farmers’ ability to irrigate corn, sunflowers, rice and cotton.