Hope remains for Sa Pobla's potato crop, despite frosts

SA POBLA
FARMERS in Sa Pobla were still hopeful yesterday that their recently planted potato crop will have survived last weekends freezing temperatures.
Although warm autumn weather had provided near ideal conditions under which to plant the new crop destined for export at the end of February and early March, the cold and frost could have devastating consequences.

Fortunately, many farmers had taken the precaution prior to the icy spell of watering the young plants to stop them from withering. The protective layer of water apparently sinks in and stops the potatoes being frozen.

Experts said that farmers could tell frosts were on their way last week by the moon shining in a completely cloudless sky.
Joan Company, Managing Director of the s'Esplet farming cooperative explained yesterday: “We still can't judge for sure about the whole of the crop but we're aware that some of the plants which emerged early will have withered.” He said that growers have to expect frosts at this time of year after the planting.

But Company added that the harvest is “recoverable” and certainly “not lost.” Other sources close to the cooperative said that there was no point in being alarmist and that it was “still early days.”