«Our fields have been hit by hail and rain: certain productions will be halved. And now we’re anxious about the summer”.
A few sentences are enough to understand how much farmers and entrepreneurs in the Turin area have suffered from this spring, the wettest in the last 70 years. And how worried they are about the consequences, a double insult for those who came from a record drought: they will lose out but also the consumers, who risk finding themselves on the tables lower quality fruits and vegetables. But with higher prices.
Grain and vegetables
The municipalities most affected by the bad weather are also among the most agricultural ones in the Turin area. Like Santena, Trofarello and Cambiano, where a state of calamity was requested. Those who suffered the most were the crops that ended up under water (or hail) during crucial periods for production. And the case of wheat and corn fields, which were damaged or not even cultivated: «It is not possible to enter some lands because they are too wet – explains Claudio Bongiovanni, CEO of Molini Bongiovanni of Cambiano and president of the Granaria association of Turin – Now it must stop raining, otherwise the situation will become really serious. Even for wheat: humidity attracts fungi which can cause toxins”. There is talk of halved production in this sector, as for certain vegetables. And prices are rising: the latest price list talks about corn at 250 euros, compared to 200 at the beginning of the year. And that’s just one example: «The bad weather in our area is one of the factors. The risk is not being able to meet orders”.
Things are no better for those who produce hay and those who grow fruit and vegetables, both the more common and the more particular ones. Like the asparagus of Santena and Terre del Pianalto, which grow precisely in May: «Many of our associates were seriously damaged, with a yield reduced by 30% – calculates Agostina Genero, who leads the association of Santenesi producers – In general, this year is truly a disaster. And the consequence is the increase in prices: now our asparagus ranges from 5 to 10 euros, depending on the diameter.”
Cherries without celebration
Among those most in difficulty are the farmers of Pecetto, who just yesterday celebrated the 109th Cherry Festival. But, in reality, they have little to celebrate: «We calculate a production halved compared to the standard, which is around 127 tons – Elisa Tosco, president of Facolt, the association of fruit growers on the Turin hills, goes straight to the point – At Easter the heat and cold stresses stressed the cherry trees and prevented pollinating insects to do their job. So much so that this year we won’t have some varieties of cherries: the trees didn’t produce them. Then the rain did the rest”.
The awards ceremony for the best productions took place yesterday afternoon in Pecetto
The result will be a poor product, with little sugar and slightly more expensive, at around 8 euros per kilo: «Our work is increasingly difficult – Tosco vents again – We are experiencing climate change first-hand and we need to find a way to intervene”. For example? «Some of our members have covered the trees but it is not decisive and above all it costs 100 thousand euros per hectare. How much should we sell cherries for? Alternative methods are needed, also because this humidity will be a boon for Drosophila Suzuki, an insect that is attracted to red and devastates ripe fruit. Agrion, a research foundation with which we collaborate, is testing an antagonistic insect: we hope very much for the results of this experiment”.
«Concessionary policies»
“Given that we cannot intervene directly on atmospheric phenomena, what we can do is insure our companies as much as possible.” Thus Bruno Mecca Cici, president of Coldiretti Torino, regarding the (disastrous) condition of this year’s harvests. «We need to implement a virtuous process that leads agricultural businesses to take out policies against bad weather» Mecca explains. And to do this, policy prices need to fall. «Everything that is insurable cannot be compensated by the State, which is why in extreme situations like the one we are experiencing, insurance that is affordable for everyone would be needed» remarks Mecca Cici. Hence the invitation to institutions to raise awareness among businesses through incentives. «It is necessary to put together a virtuous system that protects the income of agricultural companies by creating subsidized policies on a regional scale».
Bruno Mecca Cici, president of Coldiretti Turin
