Italian agriculture has experienced a drop in production this summer as a result of high temperatures, according to Italian farmers’ association Coldiretti.
News agency Ansa reported that apple production is expected to decrease by 23% this season, due to of a long period of drought. According to Coldiretti, virtually all apple varieties are likely to experience a decline, from Red Delicious (-20%) to Renette del Canada (-80%).
The organisation said that the drought has also affected other crops, with tomatoes expected to see a decline in production of 12%, as well as durum wheat (-10%), grapes (-25%) and olives (-62%).
Production Losses
Coldiretti added that the decline is not limited to crops. Cows are producing 20% less milk than last year, because of bad fodder, while bees are only expected to produce about 10,000 tonnes of honey, which is predicted to be the worst harvest in 35 years.
“On balance, we are expected to face a loss of €2 billion, caused by the unusual weather conditions,” the group said.
© 2017 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Francesca Volpe. Click subscribe to sign up for ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
