Espelette (France) (AFP) – In the Basque Country, after a scorching summer and a historic drought, even the emblematic Espelette pepper is thirsty and irrigation, prohibited until now but now demanded by producers, appears to be a solution.

Published on: 02/11/2026 - 07:20

With the high rainfall and mild temperatures of the Basque Country, water was until now "not a subject" for this pepper, "but the situation has changed", estimates Ramuntxo Lecuona, who cultivates 2.5 hectares of pepper organically in Espelette, associated with his wife and son.

The protected designation of origin brings together in the same union 171 producers located in 10 municipalities in the Basque Country, for nearly five million vines planted and more than 190 tonnes of powder produced each year.

But for three years, several operators have thrown in the towel in the face of increasing climatic hazards: destructive hailstorms in 2023, an extremely rainy year in 2024 - the worst year for production in 10 years - or intense heat in 2025.

This year, these appeared at the time of planting, in May, notes the Espelette pepper union.

“The three and a half month heatwave, without rain” then pushed this body to request an exemption from the National Institute of Origin and Quality (INAO) to allow its producers to irrigate part of their plants, from June.

Experiments for five years

Irrigation, which is not authorized by the specifications of this AOP, is nevertheless requested by producers. “We were able to irrigate 25% of the production, which yielded very well and which therefore limited the disaster, we were able to produce a little more than 1.2 tonnes compared to the two tonnes that we usually do”, explains Ramuntxo Lecunoa.

On the facade of his house, with woodwork the same color as his peppers, he installs his scarlet "ropes", which will dry there for several weeks. He analyzes the problem of water resources as "a social subject", which could become essential for chili and regrets the administrative delays.

Experiments have in fact been carried out for five years to prove the relevance of controlled irrigation and to be able to modify the specifications, declares the Espelette pepper union, which plans to submit a new version of its regulations in June 2027.

In addition to the effects of the drought, crops also suffered from a devastating fungus, sclerotium, whose development "exploded" with the extreme heat, "causing a lot of losses for many producers", notes the union.

“There is nothing to do, we do not know how to contain this fungus, we are carrying out research to try to understand it,” specifies this source.

© 2026 AFP

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