Italy: Ligurian chestnut harvest conditioned by climate and wild boars

From Gabbiana in Val Bormida to Brodasca in Val di Vara up to the most famous chestnuts: chestnuts are back in the Ligurian woods but the unfavorable climate puts harvesting at risk; in some areas, production has dropped by up to 80%, and the problem of the climate is joined by that of wild boars which often, especially in inland areas, raid the few fruits available. The chestnut grove in Liguria constitutes about 30% of the regional wooded area and, after having risked its disappearance in past seasons due to the attack of the chestnut gall wasp, it is resuming, not without difficulty, its protagonism. Even at the national level, the harvest is lower than expected due to the summer drought but an increase of 10% is estimated compared to last year, with more than 38 million kilograms of chestnuts. We are talking about a fruit rich in nutrients, so much so that it is considered a complete food thanks to its contribution of sugars, proteins, vitamins and mineral salts: in the ...