Several farmers in Sardinia have observed what they refer to as “a large, black wave” storming over the horizon.
The island has been hit by the worst grasshopper invasion in more than 30 years, writes the news agency Reuters.
It is estimated that the invasion has affected an area of as much as 60,000 hectares so far this year in Sardinia. This is a doubling since 2021.
Affects agriculture
Rita Tolu (40) and her family run a dairy farm near the village of Noragugume.
Heat wave ravages: – Not normal
She told Reuters that more farmers in the area may have to close down due to the invasion.
Tolu and his family have this year collected 200 hay bales – only a fifth of last year’s crop.
According to the mayor of Noragugume, Rita Zaru, over 70 percent of the city’s inhabitants are engaged in agriculture.
– They spread like wildfire
– Here, people cultivate the land to avoid buying food and animal feed, says Zaru, and explains that farmers who grow grass to increase milk production have lost both crops and money due to the grasshoppers.
Worst drought in over 70 years
The rising temperatures and lack of rain make it easier for grasshoppers to lay eggs.
In recent weeks, heat waves and extreme heat have hit large parts of southern Europe.
Five-year-old suffocated by helium balloon
Italy is suffering from the worst drought in over 70 yearswhich in addition to agriculture also affects rice production and drinking water supplies.
“If it does not rain for at least five days soon, we will lose everything,” 52-year-old Fabio Camisani, a rice farmer in Milan, told the Financial Times.
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