The heat of these months and, above all, the drought, are causing serious damage to agriculture. Among the sectors affected by this year’s anomalous weather situation is olive growing: high temperatures and a lack of rainfall risk compromising the next campaign. Cia-Agricoltori Italiani estimates a decrease of 30% for 2022 and 2023 compared to the previous campaign in the main regions of Southern Italy, namely Puglia, Calabria, Sicily and Campania.
Although the olive tree is extremely resistant to drought, water plays a fundamental role in certain phases of the plant’s life cycle. The anomalous heat in the flowering period in May and the water deficit in the growth phase in July therefore created the conditions for a very unfavorable year for the production of olives.
The combination of heat and drought determines a lower production: in some cases dried fruits are already visible, a tangible sign of climatic imbalances. But even when olives are able to grow, water stress compromises their development, reducing the formation of oil.
In addition to the problems caused by the climate, there is also the looming threat of the oil fly, the most worrying parasite for Italian olive groves. In the pre-harvest phase in autumn, the insect danger could, in fact, further damage the quantity and quality of the productions.
According to the CIA, reservoirs and modern water infrastructures are therefore necessary for olive growing, as well as better soil management, with techniques aimed at containing water losses. The Italian olive sector is currently one of the most important international players