The bad weather that is hitting Emilia Romagna and northern Marche, as well as other Adriatic regions, is also causing damage to homes and cultivated fields. Modigliana is one of the most affected hillside municipalities, an area with intense kiwifruit cultivation. But the entire hilly and flat area between Modena and Cattolica (Rimini) is affected, with people fearing a new flood like the one of May 2023.
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Marco Lisi is a producer from Gambettola, a municipality bordering Cesena (FC). On Wednesday 18th, he took these photographs and commented that "some of my plots are completely flooded. The salad crop looks like a rice field, maybe we could make a nice rice salad," he jokes, just like any good Romagnolo when faced with a bad situation.
"The bell pepper greenhouse is also flooded. 50% of the crop is affected. In one of the greenhouses, we were carrying out variety trials for a seed company. Eggplants are also under water, as are cucumbers."
"It's like a lake, it's a disaster. Let's see what will happen in the next few hours. If it stops raining, the water would drain without a problem, and the situation would not be as bad as last year. But forecasts say the weather will remain very bad until Friday,' concludes Lisi.
Confagricoltura
All Confagricoltura Bologna technicians have been in contact with member farmers to monitor the crops affected by the bad weather. "The situation is evolving constantly, but the red alert issued by the Emilia-Romagna Region and the Civil Protection, which is valid until midnight on September 20th, means we cannot rest easy," says president Davide Venturi.
"In addition to flooded fields, which will remain flooded for days even after the bad weather is over, there is the risk of landslides and mudslides in hilly and mountainous areas. Once again, climate change is causing significant damage to agriculture. Now we can only hope for a respite from the rain in the coming hours, at least in terms of intensity."
Many crops have been damaged and will continue to suffer as a result of the heavy rain in the Bologna metropolitan area.
As far as fruit is concerned, "there will probably be damage to the late Angeleno plum variety," says Piergiorgio Lenzarini, president of the Fruit and Vegetable Section of Confagricoltura Bologna, "which could develop mold in the coming days due to excessive humidity. A similar situation could also occur for the late peaches still to be harvested, while there are no particular problems for Abate pears, most of which have already been harvested, nor for kiwi fruits."
It is now clear that the territory needs a different kind of maintenance: we understand that certain projects may take time, but at least ordinary operations should be carried out in the meantime," points out Alberto Mazzoni, vice-president of Confagricoltura Forlì-Cesena and Rimini and president of the Forlì Council. "This rain is revealing the fragility of the territory: over the past 24 hours, more than 150 ml of rain have already fallen in the Forlì area, and canals are flooding the roads and fields, such in Villagrappa. What is more, the situation is becoming rather complex on the hills, as landslides are occurring again in those areas already heavily hit by landslides in 2023. The ditches have not even been reopened, which may seem trivial for those who live on the hills, but is essential for dealing with rainfall of this intensity."
"Farmers will have to deal with new damage: the harvesting of grapes is still underway and the heavy rain can cause rot and delay harvesting operations. Among other things, we are not covered by the warranty, as it starts 20 days before the opening of the cellars. It will not be possible to enter the vineyards for a few days. There is also concern for the autumn fruit production, from kiwifruits to persimmons. Unfortunately, the rainfall is expected to intensify over the next few hours, so much so that schools have been closed, and the extent of direct and indirect damage is therefore bound to increase."