Climatic events cause the loss of 27% of fruit production in Italy

Italy lost 27% of its fruit production in 2021. The various climatic events (drought, heavy rains, storms, hail, frost) have compromised many harvests.

 

On the occasion of the Macfrut fair, the Coldiretti Farmers Association (Confederazione Nazionale Coltivatori Diretti) released the study “2021, anno nero della frutta Made in Italy” based on Eswd (European Severe Weather Database) data.

 

Italy has experienced an abnormal climate, with a hot winter, then frosts in the spring and a summer divided between the African heat, drought and severe storms. This first damaged the flowers and then the fruits. This resulted in a decrease in all products: apples (-12%), pears (-69%), plums (-33%), kiwis (-29%), apricots (-37%), peaches (-48 %), cherries (-20%) compared to the averages of the previous 5 years.

 

 

The fruit and vegetable sector is important in the country, with 440,000 jobs, or 40% of total agriculture and with a turnover of 15 billion euros per year between fresh and processed products thanks to the activity of more than 300,000 farms on more than 1 million cultivated hectares. Land of excellence, Italy has 113 products that have obtained the DOP and IGP labels.

 

 

source : coldiretti.it