Lately, the main problem seems to be overlapping productions. The fault does not lie with a single product, because all are affected.
The melon season started with a few difficulties due to the fact that produce from all over Italy became available at the same time, leading to a drop in prices. Producers were forced to sell their goods without even covering production costs. The situation finally improved in June, but only because bad weather damaged the crops.
Hail damaged melon crop
The situation for cherries wasn't much better, as production from Apulia overlapped with that from Modena, just like it did in the past few years. This of course resulted in fierce competition.
The same happened to tomatoes, although overlapping production may also have been caused by the fact that many growers in the South invested in order to produce for longer periods.
But will it be just this year's problem? It does not seem so, because productions have been overlapping for quite some time. In late 2014, Giuseppe Giomaro from Sempre Verde reported that "prices are being pushed down due to an overlapping of supplies caused by the early ripening triggered by mild weather."
An extreme event - the mini cyclone that hit Italy in November 2014.
The most probable culprit is probably climate change. According to a recent Cmcc and Cira study published on the International Journal of Climatology, average temperatures will increase by 3.2 degrees between now and 2100. It may not look like much, but it is enough to cause droughts during summer with temperatures over 30°C and an increased risk of floods in winter.
An extreme event - the mini cyclone that hit Italy in November 2014.
The most probable culprit is probably climate change. According to a recent Cmcc and Cira study published on the International Journal of Climatology, average temperatures will increase by 3.2 degrees between now and 2100. It may not look like much, but it is enough to cause droughts during summer with temperatures over 30°C and an increased risk of floods in winter.
The effects of climate change
As Coldiretti stressed, it is therefore "important to prevent and counter climate change by promoting production and consumption models that are more sustainable." Also because overlaps in production and more numerous extreme weather phenomena are just two of its consequences. Another one is the increase of Drosophila suzukii, Citrus Tristeza Virus and Xylella fastidiosa, to name a few, i.e. all those parasites and diseases coming from other continents not only because of the increased trade, but also because they find their ideal habitat over here.
"The damage caused by parasites from other continents amounts to around €1 million a year," explains Coldiretti.
Drosophila suzukii affected cherries
"Citrus fruit in Sicily has been heavily affected by the Tristeza virus, which weakened over 30% of groves, and hundreds of thousands of kiwi plants in Lazio and Piedmont were literally exterminated by bacteriosis (Pseudomonas syringae pv. Actinidiae-PSA). Apple and pear trees were damaged by fire blight (Erwinia amylovora) and Drosophila suzukii is causing incalculable losses of cherries, blueberries and grapes."
Drosophila suzukii affected cherries
"Citrus fruit in Sicily has been heavily affected by the Tristeza virus, which weakened over 30% of groves, and hundreds of thousands of kiwi plants in Lazio and Piedmont were literally exterminated by bacteriosis (Pseudomonas syringae pv. Actinidiae-PSA). Apple and pear trees were damaged by fire blight (Erwinia amylovora) and Drosophila suzukii is causing incalculable losses of cherries, blueberries and grapes."
"These are the effects of climate change, which caused the increase in temperatures as well as the multiplication of extreme events, shifted seasons and an increase in fungi infections and in the spreading of crop-damaging insects. Of the 10 hottest years since 1880, nine occurred after the year 200."
FreshPlaza processing of various data