Italy's severe drought has caused
crop yields to fall by up to 45%, farmers association Coldiretti
has said.
It said production of corn and fodder for animal feed was down
by 45%, while rice and wheat yields had dropped by 30%.
It said fruit yields were down by 15% while a fifth of
cultivated clams and muscles had died because of the lack of
water flowing in the Po delta.
Milk production is down 20% because of cows being stressed by
the extreme heat.
"It is necessary to intervene immediately with emergency
measures to save crops and the futures and farms that are in
serious difficulty," said Coldiretti, President Ettore Prandini.
Scientists say that extreme weather events like the heat waves
that are currently hitting many parts of Europe, supercharged
storms, flooding and droughts are becoming more frequent and
more intense because of climate change caused by human activity.
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