2017 seems to be one of those years we will remember for a very long time. I am
not talking about the quality of its wines - something, of course, we cannot
discuss right now - indeed for its whims and unusual events about meteorology.
What it is happening in 2017, from a weather point of view and its effects in
meteorology, is causing a lot of troubles to agriculturists and farmers.
Including vintners, of course. In case we are going to consider the fact it is
just the beginning of summer and before getting to harvesting time some months
have still to pass, there is nothing to be happy for. The same is true for
those working on other types of cultures: before harvesting the fruits of this
year, they need to wait for some time to pass. Not to mention the agricultural
activities in which harvesting the fruits of the year occurs in fall, such as
olives for making oil.
An extreme year. After having severely lashed vineyards and other cultures with
those extreme frosts last April - causing serious damages - it seems 2017 is
not done yet in giving troubles to agriculturists. From one extreme to another,
from severe and unexpected low temperatures in April, to the unbearable
sultriness of the end of spring and beginning of summer. Indeed, it is not the
heat to give troubles to vintners and agriculturists. The unexpected and
intense heat has contributed to make things worse in terms of water reserves of
the soil, it is evidently dry, also because of the very long absence of rains.
It does not rain, and for a very long time, therefore what it is giving most of
the troubles now is drought. If April's frosts have caused serious damages
everywhere in Italy, by seriously compromising the hope of harvesting, what has
been survived to that event is now severely threatened by drought.
The absence of rains was something causing preoccupations to agriculturists
since the beginning of spring. When the frosts happened in April, they forced
everyone to focus on this grave event, however the problem of drought was
already preoccupying vintners and farmers. At the beginning of April, before
the arrival of frosts, Coldiretti (an Italian association of agriculturists)
reported damages caused by drought, a problem preoccupying agriculturists and
vintners quite a lot since then. Last April, in fact, Coldiretti reported the
maximum temperatures in Italy were higher than 2.5 °C than the average with a
diminution, during March, of 53% of rains. The consequence, one of the many,
has been the lowering of Po river - the longest Italian river - as to make it
reach, in April, the same level reported in summer 2016. Coldiretti also
reported rains in Italy were already below than the season's average.
The quantity of winter rains in Italy has been lower of 67% than the average.
Last April Coldiretti expressed its concerns for the scarce quantity of rains
and snow, fundamental for reconstituting soil's water reserve. In other words,
the soil - as of April - provided a very low quantity of water with serious
consequences for plants. With the arrival of frosts, things - of course - did
not get any better. If drought was threatening the life of plants from
below, frosts were doing the same from the above. According to
Coldiretti, this is the result of climate changes occurring in Italy, with an
evident change to season cycles, which effects have caused, in the last ten
years, damages for more than fourteen billions euros. These figures - evidently
both negative and preoccupying - did not get better and what happened in the
following months, made even the most optimistic ones change their minds.
We are now in summer and - like it was predicted - things did not get better,
indeed, the preoccupations have increased and quite a lot. The new figures
reported by Coldiretti tell about an even more serious condition than last
April. With the arrival of the torrid heat in June and the lack of rains in
spring, drought is now giving a lot of preoccupations to farmers. The new
figures say rains in spring have been 50% less than the average, a condition
widely determined by the lack of rains in winter. The grave drought in Italy is
so preoccupying some regions have called for a state of emergency. In certain
areas, moreover, the scarcity of water also affected the availability of water
in towns and villages. Drought, it is now clear, is compromising the harvesting
of vegetables, cereals and fruits and the sustenance of livestock is critical
as well.
Winter and spring 2017 - according to Coldiretti - respectively ranked third
and second among the seasons with the lower quantity of rains from 1800 and
damages are believed to be about one billions euros. Farmers, those who can, of
course, are forced to irrigate the fields in order to save the crops. 2017,
with its anomalous weather, is confirming the trend of climate changes
occurring in the last years. These events - once again and it should be taken
with scrupulous attention and consideration - must unavoidably make us think
about what it is happening and we absolutely need to find a remedy for this.
Consequences are evidently catastrophic for everyone, including agriculture
which is the fundamental activity for the sustenance and nourishing of the
world. Wine production, too, will unavoidably suffer consequences. Let's hope
this 2017 will stop this crazy weather and may it welcome a highly desired and
necessary normality.
Antonello Biancalana
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