Rain reduces salt
Excessive rainfall is always an enemy of sea salt production. Last fall's drought and the generous winter rainfall have reduced the harvest at the Trinitat salt mines in the Ebro Delta. The Catalan company Infosa, the concessionaire of the historic operation, has begun harvesting the salt and is quite certain that there will be a decline in production.
The figures will be 10%-20% below the historical average for the salt flats, located in a protected natural environment. It has been a year marked by rain, which, combined with the autumn drought, has caused production to be delayed. Sun and wind are the best allies.
The forecast is that between 80,000 and 90,000 tons of salt can be collected, between 10% and 20% less.The favorable conditions this summer, with hardly any rain and high temperatures, have certainly played a role in their favor. The final result is between 80,000 and 90,000 tons. The average is above 100,000 tons.
“The quality of the salt will be very good,” emphasizes Joan Sucarrats, CEO of Infosa. “It's not a great harvest because it rained a lot in spring and winter,” he recalls. The lack of rainfall, although it may seem paradoxical, benefits sea salt production. A year ago, after three years of historic drought, production reached 120,000 tons. The record stands at 140,000 tons per year.
Read also The drought is benefiting the Ebro Delta's salt harvest, which could reach 120,000 tons. ACN
It has indeed been a good year for fleur de sel, Infosa's most gourmet product, intended for the restaurant industry. The harvest reached around 30,000 tons. This salt is harvested by hand from the shallowest part of the water. Harvesting begins earlier, in May, but ends with the salting process .
Seventy percent of the salt produced in the Ebro Delta is exported, primarily to EU countries. The main use of this salt is industrial (80%-85%). Some of it is used for cleaning swimming pool water, a growing business; for road maintenance during snowfall or frost; and for agro-industrial production. Only 20% goes to the food sector.
Harvesting will now continue for a couple of weeks (17-18 days) and is expected, barring any major unforeseen events, to end around September 11. During the salt harvest , the key is once again the weather. A storm would once again be the worst enemy of the machines and operators. "Let's hope the weather allows us to work, that there are no storms," says Sucarrats. Access to the salt mines is very difficult, on the Trabucador bar.
The salt mine employs 120 workers, half of them permanent employees. Salt harvesting is a traditional activity in the Delta, dating back to the late 19th century. Back then, all the tons of salt were collected manually.
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