Image: ALESSANDRO SERRANO (AFP)
The fruit harvest could be affected for the next four to five years, the farmers’ association Coldiretti said on Sunday. The water left in the orchards has “choked” the roots of the trees, causing them to rot, Coldiretti explained. This could result in up to 15 million plants being uprooted in an area dubbed Italy’s “fruit region” for its apricot, peach, nectarine, plum, apple, pear, kiwi and strawberry orchards need to be made, which will have a significant impact on prices. According to Coldiretti, more than 20 percent of Italian apricots and more than 10 percent of peaches and nectarines are produced in Romagna.
A sharp rise in fruit prices is feared. Before the flood, these had already risen by 7.6 percent. After the disaster, the effects could be even more serious. According to calculations by Italmercati, the national wholesale network, the supply of fruit could fall by 15 to 20 percent in the coming weeks. “We expect a real earthquake in our sector in the coming weeks. The floods have destroyed seasonal produce such as pears, apples, plums, kiwis and grapevines that are not yet in full ripening, causing an overall drop in quality and quantity of fruit and vegetables, with an associated increase in costs,” said Italmercati’s President, Fabio Massimo Pallottini.
1.5 billion euros damage
More than 50,000 agricultural companies are active in the Emilia Romagna region. The president of the Confagricoltura association, Carlo Carli, put the damage to agriculture at 1.5 billion euros. Just replanting an orchard is very expensive at €50,000 per hectare and it will take four to five years to restore full production.
The storms also caused severe damage to livestock. Around 600 pigs drowned at a cattle farm in the province of Ravenna. Shelter, water and food must be secured for more than 250,000 cattle, pigs, sheep and goats kept in Romagna’s flooded stables. The area is home to about 400 poultry farms with chickens, layers and turkeys, and nearly 45,000 beehives, many of which have been washed away, according to Farmers’ Association Coldiretti, who reported several thousands of drowned animals.
The government wants to apply for access to the EU solidarity fund to support the flooded areas. Meloni has scheduled a Council of Ministers meeting for next Tuesday, at which the first aid measures for the affected areas are to be decided. Various EU countries pledged their help as part of the so-called EU civil protection procedure. Austria, Germany, France, Slovakia, Slovenia, Romania, Poland and Bulgaria are making pumping equipment available to the affected Mediterranean country, as the EU Commission announced.
Source: Nachrichten
