Urgent Need to Increase Water Supply in Italy, Producers Warn

“There is an urgent need to increase water supply and reduce the effects of climate change,” the national producer association, Italia Olivicola, has warned. The organization said that low rainfall and the scorching heat in recent weeks in the main olive growing regions are making the situation worse, especially in places that have experienced wildfires. The heat and the strong water stress to which the plants are subjected are risk factors for the development and ripening of the fruit not only in the upcoming campaign but could also have a negative impact on subsequent ones.- Gennaro Sicolo, president, Italia Olivicola