Climate change is much more than social media trending news: it is the harsh reality farmers and agricultural entrepreneurs have to deal with every day.
And the damages are as harsh and real, resulting in millions of euros of loss.
Due to the swing of temperatures that led to a sudden rise followed by a collapse in degrees, the vegetative awakening of peaches, cherries, apricots, almonds and hazelnuts took place in advance. Now, buds and flowers are likely to be burned by frost due to the abrupt drop in temperatures suddenly arrived after weeks of exceptionally high averages.
And if spring crops are likely to suffer even permanent damage, the situation of winter crops, which should withstand the effects of the cold, is not promising.
Due to the freezing cold, supported by arctic winds, even savoy cabbage, chicory, cabbage and broccoli suffer the damages of frosts.
These crops, which can handle temperatures of a few degrees below zero, are dealing with extreme temperature drops and even more violent frosts.
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Coldiretti warns: the crazy climate has already cost the agricultural sector 6 billions in damages.
If greenhouses should become unsustainable due to rising energy costs, anti-frost wind machines, with low-cost powering solutions such as hybrid or shared engines, could be the right weapon to fight frost damage on farmers’ fields and thus protect their crops and their hard work.