Italy: Hazelnuts, a common front against the bug in Lazio

In Tuscia, one of the largest hazelnut-growing regions in Italy, the 2023 hazelnut campaign would have already been difficult in itself, due to the weather conditions last spring, which caused numerous problems in the countryside. To complicate matters, however, the bug has set in, which is damaging several hundred producers. So much so that the large Ops, in collaboration with local institutions, are trying to take action, already with a view to next season. Settimio Discendenti, president of the Cpn of Ronciglione (Viterbo), took stock of this issue and made an initial assessment of how the 2023/24 commercial campaign opened. “We have recorded – explains Discendenti – a harvest that is 40% lower than normal production. Much of the blame lies with the failure to set fruit last spring and the aftermath of the effects of last year's drought. Then, there was a strong attack of the bug starting at the end of July, which compromised the quality of a good part of the harvest." The ...