Sicily’s Drought Crisis: Farms in Peril as Heatwave Hits Hard

Sicily, Italy’s sun-soaked island, is battling a historic drought that’s turning its golden wheat fields to dust and leaving farmers in despair. With losses estimated at €2.7 billion this year alone, the crisis has sparked wildfires, emptied rivers, and forced farmers to abandon harvests.

The Italian government declared a state of emergency in May, funding water trucks and desalination efforts, but relentless heatwaves have dashed hopes of recovery. \"There’s no hope—it hasn’t rained since last May,\" said farmer Salvatore Michele Amico, whose fields now lie barren. \"No wheat, no barley, no oats.\"

Cracks split the earth where crops once thrived, and cattle wander parched land searching for grass. Sicily, once the breadbasket of ancient Rome, could see wheat yields drop by over 50%, per agricultural group Coldiretti. Farmer Beppe Palmieri lamented: \"No water for animals… We don’t know what to do.\"

As imported animal feed arrives, the island’s water shortage remains critical. With no relief in sight, Sicily’s farmers—and its legacy—face an uncertain future.

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Drought in Sicily threatens grain fields, animal herds

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