Italy rain

The last weekend in July saw northern Italy hit by unseasonable storms and an abundance of rainfall, with the worst conditions experienced in the regions of the Marches, Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna.

According to Franco Nipoti of Milan-based distributor Spreafico, the north of the country received as much as rain as in an average month of October.

'The weather is very unusual for this time of year,' he told eurofruit. 'It has really affected the stonefruit crop, not just peaches and nectarines, but also plums.'

The rain has served to drastically reduce the shelf-life of Italian stonefruit, making it difficult to export.

'Prices are therefore very low,' said Nipoti. 'Sugar levels seem to be OK, but the taste is a bit different, and consumers have noticed this, so sales have been affected as a result. We hope to finish the season as soon as possible.'

One piece of good news for Italian growers is that the pear and kiwifruit crops have so far remained unscathed, according to Nipoti. 'We are fortunate that these fruits are more resilient to the weather than stonefruit,' he said.