Drought Dries Up Precious Rice In Italy

The worst drought in 70 years is thirsting paddy fields in the Po Valley and threatening the crop of quality rice used for risotto, Paulo Santalucia reported for Associated Press (AP).

Photo Insert: The drought in Italy is threatening 3 billion euros ($3.1 billion) in agriculture.

Due to a lack of rain, Italy's largest river has turned into a long stretch of sand, leaving the Lomellina rice flats — located between the river Po and the Alps — without the essential water to flood the fields.

“Normally this field is supposed to be flooded with 2 to 5 centimeters (0.8 to 2 inches) of water, but now it seems to be on a sandy beach,” remarked rice farmer Giovanni Daghetta as he went through the dying rice fields in Mortara.

Farmers have been cultivating the famous Arborio rice there for centuries: the broad grains of this local variety are ideal for absorbing the flavors of risotto recipes.

“From the river Po, we were supposed to receive a flow rate of 160,000 liters (42,270 gallons) per second, while we currently have an approximate flow rate between 30,000 and 60,000 liters (7,925 to 15,850 gallons) per second,” said Stefano Bondesa, head of the West Sesia association.

Drought stress is the most harmful element for rice, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), especially in the early stages of growth. Heat waves, such as those that have regularly hit Italy with temperatures reaching 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit), can severely lower the yield of surviving rice.

“This paddy hasn’t been irrigated for two weeks now, and 90% of the plants have already fully dried,” Daghetta explained.

“The remaining 10%, that are still slightly green urgently need to be submerged with water within two or three days.” But with more dry days forecast ahead, Daghetta had little hope that would happen.

The drought in Italy is threatening 3 billion euros ($3.1 billion) in agriculture, according to an Italian farm group this week. The Italian agricultural producers' confederation anticipates that between 30% and 40% of the summer yield will be lost. While unusual heat and a lack of rainfall are to blame for the current crisis,

Italy has a notoriously wasteful water infrastructure, with the national statistics office estimating that 42 percent of drinking water is lost from distribution networks each year, owing to old and poorly maintained pipes.

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