[ti:Dry Weather Threatens Italy’s Famous Grape, Olive Crops]
[by:www.21voa.com]
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[00:00.04]Farmers in Italy's famous Tuscany area
[00:04.62]are struggling to save grape and olive crops
[00:09.06]threatened by a heatwave and drought conditions.
[00:15.16]A lack of rainfall since spring
[00:18.54]has even affected plants that traditionally grow well in hot and dry weather.
[00:26.52]In San Casciano in Val di Pesa, near Florence, olive trees line the hillsides.
[00:35.26]But farmers say the dry soil
[00:38.93]is preventing the trees from producing the normal amount of fruit.
[00:45.64]Tuscany is famous around the world for its olive oil and wine from grapes.
[00:53.11]But growers in the area say dry, hot weather
[00:58.12]has recently had a major effect on the crops and harmed production.
[01:04.85]"We had a very dry spring with practically no rain from March to today,"
[01:12.36]olive grower Filippo Legnaioli told Reuters.
[01:17.95]He said this year's heat and lack of water happened during an important time,
[01:25.36]when the flowers were changing to fruit.
[01:29.84]Without water, many flowers fall to the ground before they can produce fruit.
[01:36.71]Legnaioli said this year's oil production
[01:41.08]could be reduced by up to 60 percent.
[01:45.56]Other olive growers have decided to change some of their farming methods.
[01:51.98]They have added extra watering systems
[01:55.66]to make up for the lack of rainfall and hot temperatures.
[02:01.56]Farmer Luigi Calonaci told Reuters the "rescue" watering methods
[02:08.76]aim "to protect the production of olives on the plants."
[02:15.00]The system works through a pipe placed beneath the trees to release small amounts of water.
[02:23.84]Calonaci's farm has also been using a white netting material
[02:29.91]to protect the plants from olive fruit flies, whose larvae feed on the fruit of the trees.
[02:38.57]While the farmers say that problem is not directly related to the drought,
[02:45.39]it can also cause big crop losses.
[02:50.04]The effects of climate change have not only affected production and plants
[02:56.47]but have also created new areas in Italy where crops can be grown.
[03:03.24]A few years ago, olive farms were mainly found in hot and dry areas such as Sicily.
[03:12.62]Now, areas such as Val d'Aosta in the far north of Italy –
[03:18.90]which is famous for its ski resorts and mountains – can produce their own oil.
[03:27.04]Climate change is also affecting wine crops in Tuscany.
[03:33.20]In Chianti, for example, September is normally the month for the yearly grape harvest.
[03:41.01]But with continued high temperatures, many grapes are ripening earlier than expected.
[03:49.76]"We have smaller grapes, and we expect the number of grapes
[03:55.00]to be lower than the average of the last few years," said Sergio Zingarelli,
[04:02.11]who helps lead a local grape farming group.
[04:05.99]In addition to the reduction in grapes caused by the current heatwave,
[04:12.76]wine growers also have to deal with other extreme weather events.
[04:19.37]Paolo Cianferoni is the owner of Chianti's "Caparsa" winery.
[04:26.85]He said a hailstorm recently destroyed 40 percent of grapes in the area.
[04:35.01]He told Reuters, "Luckily the quality of the grapes has not been affected,
[04:42.14]so we'll see what happens."
[04:45.13]I'm Bryan Lynn. 更多听力请访问21VOA.COM