The hailstorm that hit a vast part of the Sicilian countryside on Sunday 16th April was short but very intense and its effects were worsened by the strong wind.
It is still too early to assess the damage, but FreshPlaza talked about it with Gaetano D'Imprima, agronomist and CEO of D'Imprima Ortofrutta S.r.l., a company that owns 70 hectares of citrus groves and fruit orchards.
"Hail, rain and wind hit various areas in Scordia, Lentini, Palagonia as well as the Catania plain and the Caltanissetta province."
"Our company has various production facilities in different areas and hail seriously affected one area in particular, damaging almost 500 quintals of Wonder Cot apricots, with losses that will reach €50,000. A production facility in another area saw no damage at all."
"Our company has various production facilities in different areas and hail seriously affected one area in particular, damaging almost 500 quintals of Wonder Cot apricots, with losses that will reach €50,000. A production facility in another area saw no damage at all."
"The same can be said for the Caltanissetta province - the fruit was strongly affected in some areas and not at all in others."
Early apricots were hit particularly hard as they were already ripening (20% of the produce has been lost), but there may be repercussions also on other summer fruit. It is still to early to assess the damage on citrus fruit plants.
"As producers, we increasingly have to deal with abnormal weather events."
Luckily the company is part of the "Consorzio Difesa Produzioni Intensive della Regione Sicilia - Catania", with which it stipulated insurance policies against hail damage.
Nonetheless, the next stone fruit campaign will definitely be affected.
In the photo, the team of the Sicilian consortium protecting intensive Sicilian productions from natural disasters.
Giuseppe Raimondi, director of the Consorzio Difesa Produzioni Intensive della Regione Sicilia reported that "it is still to early to assess the damage caused by the April hailstorms, it may take months."
"At the moment, we only know that the hailstorms on 6th/7th/8th/16th April affected various Sicilian provinces and caused serious damage to late Valencia orange groves and early fruit varieties such as peaches, apricots and nectarines."
"The areas mostly affected are the municipalities of Villasmundo, Scordia, Lentini, Carlentini and Augusta. Slight damage was also registered in the Canicattì, Delia, Riesi, Naro and Caltanissetta areas."
"The areas mostly affected are the municipalities of Villasmundo, Scordia, Lentini, Carlentini and Augusta. Slight damage was also registered in the Canicattì, Delia, Riesi, Naro and Caltanissetta areas."
Contacts:
D'Imprima Ortofrutta S.r.l.
Contrada Monaco
95048 Scordia (CT)
Cell.:(+39) 349 5752825
Tel.: (+39) 095 5877308
Email: info@dimprimaortofrutta.it
Web: www.dimprimaortofrutta.it
Consorzio Difesa Produzioni Intensive
della Regione Sicilia
V.le XX settembre, 11
95128 Catania
Tel.: 095 432010
Web: www.condifesacatania.it