The Hamilton Spectator

Rice fields dry as Italy’s worst drought in 70 years lingers on

Conditions are jeopardizing harvest of premium risotto product

PAOLO SANTALUCIA

The worst drought Italy has faced in 70 years is thirsting paddy fields in the river Po valley and jeopardizing the harvest of the premium rice used for risotto.

Italy’s largest river is turning into a long stretch of sand due to the lack of rain, leaving the Lomellina rice flats — nestled between the river Po and the Alps — without the necessary water to flood the paddies.

“Normally this field is supposed to be flooded with 2 to 5 centimetres of water, but now it seems to be on a sandy beach,” said rice farmer Giovanni Daghetta, as he walked through the dying rice fields in the town of Mortara. Farmers there have been producing the famed Arborio rice for centuries: the wide grains of this local variety are perfect for absorbing the flavours of risotto dishes.

According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, drought stress is the most damaging factor for rice, especially in the early stages of its growth. Heat waves, like those repeatedly hitting Italy with peaks of 40 C, can significantly reduce the yield of surviving rice.

“This paddy hasn’t been irrigated for two weeks now, and 90 per cent of the plants have already fully dried,” said Daghetta. “The remaining 10 per cent, 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 lack of rainfall has brought governors of various Italian regions to declare a state of emergency in order to conserve water and coordinate the management of minimal resources.

The region’s main water sources, the rivers Po and Dora Baltea, are eight times lower than the average seasonal levels, according to the West Sesia irrigation association, which regulates water distribution through the maze of channels which snake through the rice fields.

“From the river Po, we were supposed to receive a flow rate of 160,000 litres per second, while we currently have an approximate flow rate between 30,000 and 60,000 litres per second,” said Stefano Bondesa, president of the West Sesia association.

As a result of the water shortage, Bondesa was forced to take a few unpopular decisions, recently ruling to stop irrigating poplars, fruit trees and second crops to give priority to rice.

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2022-06-30T07:00:00.0000000Z

2022-06-30T07:00:00.0000000Z

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