The consequences of the flood in Emilia Romagna and the swift temperature changes are causing a lack in the supply of fruit and vegetables, affecting prices and consumption habits.
The observatory of Centro Agroalimentare Roma, one of the leading European organizations for commercialization in the agrifood sector, reports how early domestic cherries and apricots are already lacking due to the rain and low temperatures in May, just as peaches and nectarines. Following the flood in Emilia Romagna, there will also be fewer summer and fall products (late peach and nectarine varieties as well as persimmons). In addition to the flood, apples and pears from Emilia were also affected by the late frost in spring.
According to CAR, this will lead to a 15% increase in prices compared with May 2022. Given the lower availability on the shelves, there will be abundant produce coming in from abroad, especially from Spain. The situation is less worrying when it comes to vegetables, as only few products come from abroad.
The flood in Emilia Romagna destroyed entire potato and onion crops compromising the summer production, and a new "emergency" transplant could already be too risky to face the summer season. Mostly imported potatoes and onions are expected to be found on the wholesale markets.
Fabio Massimo Pallottini, general manager at CAR
"That of fresh fruit is definitely the agri-food sector mostly affected by the flood in Emilia Romagna" commented Fabio Massimo Pallottini, general manager at CAR. "We recommend purchasing fresh produce on a daily basis at the moment and focusing on more convenient products such as Italian apples, precisely because they were harvested in in 2022. In addition, it is worth purchasing melons and watermelons because the low temperatures have not stimulated demand, so they can be found on the market at an excellent quality-price ratio."
The abundant rain and cool weather also favored the growth of high-quality local vegetables, so there is a good supply of leaf vegetables such as chard, chicory and salad, plus broccoli and cauliflower.