About 20% to 25% of Champagne vineyards were damaged by fungus after heavy rains earlier this month, adding to the heavy damage caused by frost at the start of the season, the wineries represented Tuesday. The organization said of French territory.
Overall, half of the crop will be lost, CIVC vice president of the sector group, Maxim Tubart, told Reuters, although past productions should have no impact on markets’ offerings for reserves.
Torrential rains lashed Western Europe in mid-July, causing deadly flooding in Germany and Belgium and raising concerns about quality and quantity damage to various agricultural products, including grain.
“It’s terrible, we’ve had a lot of rain, just in time when we needed hot, dry weather,” said Taubert, also a producer.
Due to fungal attack, grapes and leaves dry up. Tubart said that in some places the entire plantation was destroyed.
“The 20%-25% loss on 35,000 hectares is huge. Older generations say they’ve never seen anything like it,” Tubart said.
Severe frosts had already caused a loss of 30% of production throughout the winter.
(Por Sibil de la Humide)
