Spain's paella rice could 'disappear', say farmers angry at EU rules

A handful of bomba rice is pictured in the barn before going to the mill, in Sollana, Valencia, as rice farmers in the Valencian Community say their harvest of bomba rice, a variety grown almost exclusively in Spain, has been affected by EU environmental regulations in Spain, February 7, 2024. REUTERS/ Eva Manez

MADRID (Reuters) - A Spanish rice variety traditionally used to make paella is under threat from a fungus after the European Union banned a pesticide farmers said they relied upon, in another example of how the bloc's environmental rules are angering growers.

Three rice producers in the Valencia region said their harvest of arroz bomba, or bomb rice, a variety grown almost exclusively in Spain, was half the 10-year average in 2023 as a result of the Pyricularia fungus which causes rice blast disease.