More damage to farms in Veneto due to the water bombs and wind that hit the area last night, with particular intensity in the Padua, Vicenza and Veronese areas.
Lodging of corn, bent in two by water and wind, and damage to wheat and soybeans have been reported by several farms of Confagricoltura Padova, with particular reference to the territories of Montagnana, Urbana, Merlara, Casale di Scodosia, Borgo Veneto and Megliadino San Vitale. Very serious situation in Rustega di Camposampiero, where the Muson flooded.
“The picture is even more serious than the 2014 flood – says worried Michele Barbetta, president of Confagricoltura Padova -, because we will go well beyond the 10,000 hectares of flooded fields of ten years ago. The water of the Fratta, already at the limit of the threshold yesterday, continued to rise during the night due to the breaking of the banks of the Guà, now reaching 2.25 metres. A very high level, which makes us fear for the stability of the banks. The Fratta must fall below 1.85 meters for the pumps to start working again, but whatever solution is found, the situation remains highly critical, because more rain is expected next week and it will take days and days to dry out the land. Meanwhile, the damage is already enormous for agricultural companies. Corn and soybeans, recently sown, will suffer a high death of seedlings due to asphyxiation. Many hectares of wheat and barley have suffered lodging, with the plants folded to the ground due to the action of rain and wind, with phytosanitary problems and difficulties in harvesting, as well as quality”.
Vineyards completely destroyed and damage to arable land are the consequences of the water bombs that hit the province of Vicenza last night. The vineyards of the Alto Vicenza area paid the price. Impressive images of a vineyard of Tarcisio Migliorini’s company, in Monte di Malo, completely destroyed by the fury of the wind and the storm: the plants and poles uprooted, desolately on the ground in the mud and water. “It was a new vineyard, just planted, of one and a half hectares – explains Massimo Cichellero, director of Confagricoltura Vicenza -. The damage is enormous, as is the case throughout the entire territory. There are hundreds of hectares of flooded fields, with corn and soybeans under water at risk of asphyxiation and rot. The companies, which are already in a difficult period due to the collapse in cereal prices, will also have to bear the costs of restoring the land and reseeding. The difficulty of working water-soaked soil and carrying out the necessary treatments also entails the risk of the onset of fungal diseases. This also applies to wheat and barley, which are in an advanced stage of maturation. In this case the fear is that the quality will be affected, which is important for defining the price. Furthermore, the damage caused by landslides on agricultural land in the Berici Hills should be added, as well as damage to company structures in the Alto Vicenza area”.
In the Veronese area the area between Valeggio, Sona and Sommacampagna was hit. The water bombs and strong wind were also joined by hail, which in some areas reached the size of tennis balls. “There are flooded vineyards, as well as broken branches and destroyed leaves – reports Alberto De Togni, president of Confagricoltura Verona -. In some areas the damage is extensive, with probable production losses. It will take a few days to make a precise estimate, also to allow the technicians to be able to enter the fields, which are now flooded or soaked in water.”
