Volcanic grit, water shortage threaten La Palma’s bananas
5 years agoThis handout picture released by the Spanish Military Emergency Unit (UME) on October 8, 2021, shows a UME member monitoring by drone the lava flow of the Cumbre Vieja volcano pictured in the background, in the Canary island of La Palma. - A new flow of highly liquid lava emerged from the volcano erupting in Spain's Canary islands on October 1, 2021, authorities said, as a huge magma shelf continues to build on the Atlantic ocean. (Photo by Luismi Ortiz / UME / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO / LUISMI ORTIZ/ SPANISH MILITARY EMERGENCY UNIT (UME)" - NO MARKETING - NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS
"It's worse than a plague," curses Pedro Antonio Sanchez, fuming over the volcanic grit coating his bananas, the main source of wealth on the Canaries' island of La Palma.