Spanish rice Varieties traditionally used to make paella are under threat from a fungus after the European Union banned pesticides that farmers relied on, and European Union environmental regulations have angered producers. This is another example of this.
three rice Producers from the Valencian region spoke about the harvest of arroz bomba (bomb). riceThis variety is grown almost exclusively in Spain, but due to the Pyricularia fungus that causes it, its production was half of the 10-year average in 2023. rice Explosive disease.
bomba rice “It’s very likely that it will disappear,” Miguel Mingue said. rice A farmhouse in the Albufera Natural Park in Valencia. “Our crops will be lost to regulation.”
Meanwhile, major exporting countries such as Brazil, India and Cambodia widely use the pesticide to protect their crops.
Farmers across Europe have staged angry protests against the EU, saying the regulations would give an advantage to external competitors. Spanish farmers have been holding protests across the country this week.
The clash highlights the EU’s struggle to reconcile sustainability efforts with its goal of becoming more self-sufficient in food production as supply chains become disrupted.
The European Commission has been forced into a setback, with President Ursula von der Leyen proposing on Tuesday to scrap an EU plan to halve pesticide use.
small traces
In 2018, the EU suspended the approval of tricyclazole because it deemed it potentially harmful to human health.
It has been relied on for 40 years to fight fungi that affect Bomba. rice It is located in a wetland area of Spain, the farmers said.
Perhaps what angers farmers most is that the EU still allows small amounts of fungicides to be included in imports.
“There are rules for Europe and rules for companies that produce abroad,” said Emilio González, professor of agricultural and forestry engineering at the University of Córdoba.
A spokesperson for the European Green Deal team said imports must respect residue levels set by the EU.
This level “assures the product is safe for human consumption,” they said.
Rice Pproduction
Albufera wetland farmers can still use at least two other fungicides for protection. rice According to a 2023 study led by Andreu Rico, a biodiversity researcher at the University of Valencia, there will be less production that permeates the ecosystem and affects shrimp populations.
rice “It’s an intensive monoculture and the disease can easily spread from one field to another,” Rico said.
The decline of bomba rice Production resulted in price It has doubled in three years and can sell for more than 5 euros ($5.39) per kilo at retailers such as Carrefour and Aorama.
Mercadona, Spain’s largest supermarket chain, has confirmed shortages in recent months, but said supplies were “gradually recovering in almost all of its stores in Spain”.
bomba rice It is more popular for making paella than other varieties. rice This dish is most commonly made with rabbit, chicken, green beans and butter beans, and when heated it “expands like an accordion”, making it difficult to cook through, says a class on how to make this dish at home. said Rafael Vidal, a famous paella chef. Restaurants near Valencia.