Tenerife Rains Bring Relief, Boost Harvest Prospects

Recent rains in Tenerife, falling at the end of 2025 and beginning of 2026, have brought "joy and relief" to the island's farmers. This rainfall is expected to lead to a good harvest for fruit trees and an even better grape harvest than this year's. The Association of Farmers and Ranchers (Asaga) sees this as a welcome return to normal winter weather after a decade, describing it as "a winter that is winter again."

Theo Hernando, Asaga's general secretary, highlighted that the island's reservoirs are now over 50% full. This high storage capacity provides "great peace of mind" for farmers as they head into summer, ensuring enough water during the busiest demand period. He added that the current rainfall levels are above the average for the last 12 or 13 years, specifically 8.6% higher since 2012, confirming a return to typical weather patterns.

Hernando described the past year as "humid and rainy, without being excessive," a significant improvement over the previous four or five years, which saw little rain, drought, and heatwaves. According to Asaga's statistics, gathered from seven meteorological stations across the island, 2025 was the third rainiest year in the last decade, only surpassed by 2018 and 2022.

Temperatures are also returning to normal, which is vital, especially during winter, for temperate fruit trees like grapevines. These plants need a period of "vegetative rest" to prevent weakening, encourage new growth, and ensure optimal production throughout the year. Combined with improved temperatures last winter, this means plum, grapevine, chestnut, and almond trees will have a better growth cycle. This is particularly good news for grapes, which suffered from a small harvest recently.

Ángela Delgado, Asaga's president, also welcomed the rain from the recent storms, noting that the only minor issue was some wind in certain areas. She echoed the sentiment that "winter is winter again, rainy and cool," which is excellent for crops, and called December 2025 "a fantastic month." Regarding whether the water emergency declaration should be lifted, she stated that it's not a political decision but rather one with set deadlines, and she expects it to conclude as planned, along with the projects designed to ease water scarcity.

Beyond the weather, Tenerife's agricultural sector is also concerned about the European Union's agreement with Mercosur. This week, the Cabildo de Tenerife formally asked Brussels for "special sensitivity" to protect local products like citrus fruits, honey, and meat. They also requested "mirror clauses" for things like plant health checks, ensuring that all operations meet the same high standards.