Dry Weather Threatens Italy's Famous Grape, Olive Crops
2022-08-07
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1Farmers in Italy's famous Tuscany area are struggling to save grape and olive crops threatened by a heatwave and drought conditions.
2A lack of rainfall since spring has even affected plants that traditionally grow well in hot and dry weather.
3In San Casciano in Val di Pesa, near Florence, olive trees line the hillsides.
4But farmers say the dry soil is preventing the trees from producing the normal amount of fruit.
5Tuscany is famous around the world for its olive oil and wine from grapes.
6But growers in the area say dry, hot weather has recently had a major effect on the crops and harmed production.
7"We had a very dry spring with practically no rain from March to today," olive grower Filippo Legnaioli told Reuters.
8He said this year's heat and lack of water happened during an important time, when the flowers were changing to fruit.
9Without water, many flowers fall to the ground before they can produce fruit.
10Legnaioli said this year's oil production could be reduced by up to 60 percent.
11Other olive growers have decided to change some of their farming methods.
12They have added extra watering systems to make up for the lack of rainfall and hot temperatures.
13Farmer Luigi Calonaci told Reuters the "rescue" watering methods aim "to protect the production of olives on the plants."
14The system works through a pipe placed beneath the trees to release small amounts of water.
15Calonaci's farm has also been using a white netting material to protect the plants from olive fruit flies, whose larvae feed on the fruit of the trees.
16While the farmers say that problem is not directly related to the drought, it can also cause big crop losses.
17The effects of climate change have not only affected production and plants but have also created new areas in Italy where crops can be grown.
18A few years ago, olive farms were mainly found in hot and dry areas such as Sicily.
19Now, areas such as Val d'Aosta in the far north of Italy - which is famous for its ski resorts and mountains - can produce their own oil.
20Climate change is also affecting wine crops in Tuscany.
21In Chianti, for example, September is normally the month for the yearly grape harvest.
22But with continued high temperatures, many grapes are ripening earlier than expected.
23"We have smaller grapes, and we expect the number of grapes to be lower than the average of the last few years," said Sergio Zingarelli, who helps lead a local grape farming group.
24In addition to the reduction in grapes caused by the current heatwave, wine growers also have to deal with other extreme weather events.
25Paolo Cianferoni is the owner of Chianti's "Caparsa" winery.
26He said a hailstorm recently destroyed 40 percent of grapes in the area.
27He told Reuters, "Luckily the quality of the grapes has not been affected, so we'll see what happens."
28I'm Bryan Lynn.
1Farmers in Italy's famous Tuscany area are struggling to save grape and olive crops threatened by a heatwave and drought conditions. 2A lack of rainfall since spring has even affected plants that traditionally grow well in hot and dry weather. 3In San Casciano in Val di Pesa, near Florence, olive trees line the hillsides. But farmers say the dry soil is preventing the trees from producing the normal amount of fruit. 4Tuscany is famous around the world for its olive oil and wine from grapes. But growers in the area say dry, hot weather has recently had a major effect on the crops and harmed production. 5"We had a very dry spring with practically no rain from March to today," olive grower Filippo Legnaioli told Reuters. He said this year's heat and lack of water happened during an important time, when the flowers were changing to fruit. 6Without water, many flowers fall to the ground before they can produce fruit. Legnaioli said this year's oil production could be reduced by up to 60 percent. 7Other olive growers have decided to change some of their farming methods. They have added extra watering systems to make up for the lack of rainfall and hot temperatures. 8Farmer Luigi Calonaci told Reuters the "rescue" watering methods aim "to protect the production of olives on the plants." 9The system works through a pipe placed beneath the trees to release small amounts of water. Calonaci's farm has also been using a white netting material to protect the plants from olive fruit flies, whose larvae feed on the fruit of the trees. While the farmers say that problem is not directly related to the drought, it can also cause big crop losses. 10The effects of climate change have not only affected production and plants but have also created new areas in Italy where crops can be grown. A few years ago, olive farms were mainly found in hot and dry areas such as Sicily. Now, areas such as Val d'Aosta in the far north of Italy - which is famous for its ski resorts and mountains - can produce their own oil. 11Climate change is also affecting wine crops in Tuscany. In Chianti, for example, September is normally the month for the yearly grape harvest. But with continued high temperatures, many grapes are ripening earlier than expected. 12"We have smaller grapes, and we expect the number of grapes to be lower than the average of the last few years," said Sergio Zingarelli, who helps lead a local grape farming group. 13In addition to the reduction in grapes caused by the current heatwave, wine growers also have to deal with other extreme weather events. 14Paolo Cianferoni is the owner of Chianti's "Caparsa" winery. He said a hailstorm recently destroyed 40 percent of grapes in the area. He told Reuters, "Luckily the quality of the grapes has not been affected, so we'll see what happens." 15I'm Bryan Lynn. 16Reuters reported this story. Bryan Lynn adapted the report for VOA Learning English. 17____________________________________________________________________ 18Words in This Story 19drought - n. a long period of time during which there is very little or no rain 20practically - adv. in a suitable or useful way 21net - n. a material made of crossed threads with holes between them 22larva - n. (larvae pl.) the form of some creatures before then develop into full form 23ripen - v. to become ripe: developed enough to be eaten 24hailstorm - n. a sudden fall of hail: small, hard balls of ice that fall from the sky like rain 25________________________________________________________________________ 26What do you think of this story? We want to hear from you. We have a new comment system. Here is how it works: 27Each time you return to comment on the Learning English site, you can use your account and see your comments and replies to them. Our comment policy is here.