The hailstorms and heavy rains recorded in Aragon during this spring have caused significant damage to agriculture. According to estimates from Agroseguro, more than 6,700 hectares have been affected, mainly impacting fruit and herbaceous crops. The region ranks as the third with the largest damaged area in Spain, only behind Castilla-La Mancha and Castilla y León.
Satellite technology for real-time damage assessment 🛰️
The evaluation of these incidents relies on satellite monitoring systems and drones equipped with multispectral sensors. These tools allow Agroseguro to calculate the percentage of affected plot area using vegetation indices such as NDVI. The data is processed with machine learning algorithms that cross-reference historical weather variables with the actual state of the crop, reducing assessment time from weeks to days and facilitating the management of compensation.
The Aragonese sky, now also an expert in forced pruning 🌩️
Farmers, already accustomed to negotiating with the weather, have seen how hail has become the new pruning advisor. Of course, an advisor that doesn't warn, doesn't charge, and leaves the fruit trees looking as if a steamroller had passed through. At least the compensation will arrive quickly, as long as the paperwork doesn't decide to take a vacation.