The purchase of fruit and vegetable
products has risen by 20% over the last two weeks as Italians
battle the heatwaves that have been gripping the country,
Coldiretti said on Monday.
The farmers' association cited reports from its nationwide
network of Campagna Amica farmers' markets over the last
fortnight.
However, Coldiretti also said the heat is destroying a range of
crops, including peppers, melons, watermelons, grapes, tomatoes
and aubergines.
"Heat burn causes irreversibly damage to fruit and vegetables,
to the point of making them unsaleable," said the association.
In some cases, farms have reportedly lost up to 90% of
production.
Coldiretti also said the high temperatures gripping the south
and recent extreme bad weather events in the north are also
making farm wok difficult.
"Agreements are needed between social partners to guarantee
flexibility in working hours in order to protect the workers'
health during the hottest times of the day without losing the
crops that are so important for the country's food supply at a
time of great tensions in trade and prices," said Coldiretti
President Ettore Prandini.
"Agriculture is the economic activity most closely linked to
seasonal cycles that experiences daily the consequences of
climate change, but it is also the sector most committed to
countering it," he added.
Scientists say the climate crisis caused by human greenhouse gas
emissions is making extreme weather events such as heat waves,
droughts, supercharged storms, hailstorms, strong winds and
flooding more frequent and more intense.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
